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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. march — music
  5. rest — a break
  6. prune — to trim
  7. charge — in control
  8. rest — what's left
  9. march — the month
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. prune — to trim
  12. charge — a price
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pass — a permit
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. charge — electricity
  24. march — the month

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