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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 116 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — a price
  7. fine — high quality
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rule — government
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. prune — to trim
  16. craft — boats
  17. charge — in control
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. craft — a handicraft

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