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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 120 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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cue — a signal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. charge — a price
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. charge — in control
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. tear — from crying
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. branch — a division
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tear — to rip
  24. ball — a great time

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