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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. tube — the underground
  3. charge — a price
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cap — of ice
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a line
  11. cap — a hat
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. tube — a container
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cap — a lid
  18. charge — in control
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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