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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 124 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. saw — the tool
  3. land — a country
  4. band — a ring
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stock — goods
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cap — a lid
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. land — ground
  17. stock — shares
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. saw — the tool
  20. land — to come down
  21. band — a music group
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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