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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. charge — in control
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rock — music
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. press — to push
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. charge — a price
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rock — a stone
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mate — to breed
  20. charge — electricity
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. mate — a friend

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