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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pop — soda
  3. spring — a coil
  4. content — happy
  5. content — the amount
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pop — music
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spring — the season
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wax — to grow
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pop — to visit
  19. charge — in control
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. spring — of water
  22. wake — a trail
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. sharp — with an edge

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