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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. spell — magic
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rush — hurry
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pop — music
  9. charge — in control
  10. chest — of your body
  11. spell — a short time
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wax — to grow
  14. charge — a price
  15. pop — soda
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spell — letters
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rush — a thrill

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