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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 120 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. lean — thin
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rush — hurry
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. game — wild animals
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. charge — in control
  14. game — a match
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bass — the fish
  18. squash — to crush
  19. shower — rain
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bass — low music
  23. charge — a price
  24. lean — to rest against

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