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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. charge — a price
  5. march — the month
  6. suit — in cards
  7. toast — bread
  8. rest — what's left
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rest — a break
  11. march — the month
  12. charge — in control
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rest — what's left
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. chest — of your body
  19. march — music
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. suit — to fit
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bass — the fish
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com