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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bear — the animal
  3. charge — a price
  4. wax — to grow
  5. spring — of water
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — a leader
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. spring — the season
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. charge — in control
  22. spring — a coil
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rush — hurry

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