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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. roll — a cake
  6. last — final
  7. pit — a hole
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rest — what's left
  11. charge — in control
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. wax — to grow
  15. charge — a price
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pit — in a race
  18. snap — to click
  19. spell — magic
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. roll — a list
  23. spell — letters
  24. charge — electricity

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