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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. charge — in control
  6. rule — a law
  7. staff — employees
  8. net — after costs
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rule — government
  11. staff — employees
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rest — what's left
  15. net — in sport
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. dip — to sink
  18. net — for catching
  19. wax — to grow
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rest — what's left
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rest — a break
  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