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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. land — ground
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pop — to visit
  5. charge — in control
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wax — to grow
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. land — to come down
  10. pop — music
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. land — a country
  15. craft — a skill
  16. board — to get on
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. craft — boats
  19. charge — electricity
  20. board — a committee
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pop — soda
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. charge — a price

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