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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. band — a music group
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pit — a hole
  8. band — a ring
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. object — an aim
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. object — to protest
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. wax — to grow
  20. object — a thing
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. charge — in control
  24. leaves — of a tree

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