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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ground — crushed
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. ground — a position
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. spell — a short time
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. charge — electricity
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. spell — letters
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. perch — the fish
  18. charge — a price
  19. spell — magic
  20. wax — to grow
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ground — the earth

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