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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bulb — for light
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. charge — a price
  15. wax — to grow
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. ball — a dance
  18. content — the amount
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. charge — in control

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