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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 120 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. object — to protest
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mug — a face
  6. object — an aim
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. capital — a city
  13. court — of law
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. wax — to grow
  16. court — for sport
  17. mug — a cup
  18. object — a thing
  19. charge — in control
  20. capital — money
  21. lean — thin
  22. court — of a king
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mug — to rob

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