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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rule — government
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. date — the fruit
  5. clip — a video
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. key — in music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. key — for a lock
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. rule — a law
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wax — to grow
  24. clip — to cut

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