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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cell — in biology
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bear — the animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. bear — the animal
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. game — a match
  16. court — of a king
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. charge — in control
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. charge — a price

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