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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. spell — letters
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. charge — a price
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. land — to come down
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. charge — electricity
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wax — to grow
  15. lean — to bend
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rest — what's left
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. spell — magic
  23. charge — in control
  24. safe — out of danger

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