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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. charge — in control
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. field — for sport
  4. track — a song
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wax — to grow
  8. field — farmland
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. track — a path
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. charge — a price
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. track — to keep track
  20. field — a subject
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. dip — to dunk
  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