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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. drill — the tool
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cap — of ice
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. firm — a company
  12. pop — to visit
  13. drill — army training
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. firm — steady
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cap — a hat
  21. charge — in control
  22. wax — to grow
  23. drill — a practice
  24. firm — decided

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