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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. chair — a leader
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. charge — in control
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. suit — to fit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. date — the fruit
  11. wind — moving air
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. suit — in cards
  14. court — for sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wind — moving air
  17. court — of law
  18. charge — a price
  19. bulb — for light
  20. suit — clothes
  21. charge — electricity
  22. court — of a king
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. chair — to sit on

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