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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. charge — a price
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. file — a tool
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. charge — in control
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mark — to pay attention

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