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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wax — to grow
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cue — a signal
  6. march — music
  7. track — a song
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. march — the month
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wind — moving air
  14. track — a path
  15. charge — a price
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. march — the month
  24. charge — electricity

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