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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 116 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. squash — the sport
  6. content — the amount
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. content — happy
  10. degree — temperature
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. craft — boats
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rush — hurry

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