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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bulb — for light
  3. present — the time now
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. club — a group
  7. shower — rain
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. club — for dancing
  13. present — a gift
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. bulb — for light
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. track — to keep track
  21. present — there
  22. shower — to wash
  23. club — for golf
  24. charge — in control

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