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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. content — the amount
  3. firm — steady
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mine — for digging
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. firm — decided
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. charge — a price
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wax — to grow
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. content — happy
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. land — a country
  22. date — the fruit
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. firm — a company

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