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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wax — to grow
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. charge — in control
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. content — happy
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. content — the amount
  24. chip — for betting

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