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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pop — soda
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. capital — money
  11. charge — electricity
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. charge — in control
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. charge — a price
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pop — to visit
  24. coach — pulled by horses

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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