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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mate — a friend
  10. toast — bread
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mate — a partner
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rush — hurry
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. shower — rain
  23. degree — an amount
  24. wax — in the ear

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