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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. last — final
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. charge — in control
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. track — a path
  7. bulb — for light
  8. charge — a price
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rule — a law
  11. last — to go on
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rule — government
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. last — finally
  20. bulb — for light
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. rule — to rule out
  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