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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. net — in sport
  8. mate — a partner
  9. track — a song
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bass — low music
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. charge — in control
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. mate — a friend
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. track — a path
  21. net — after costs
  22. saw — the tool
  23. net — for catching
  24. lean — thin

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