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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pass — a permit
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bore — to drill
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bass — the fish
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bass — low music
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. squash — to crush
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bore — to tire
  24. sharp — with an edge

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