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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. row — a line
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fall — to drop
  7. charge — electricity
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. mark — a trace
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. charge — a price
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. charge — in control
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pound — a weight

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