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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. land — ground
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rash — hasty
  9. dip — to sink
  10. wax — to grow
  11. charge — in control
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. land — to come down
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bear — the animal
  18. charge — a price
  19. bass — low music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. land — a country
  24. dip — to dunk

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