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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. present — the time now
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fall — the season
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. charge — a price
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. tube — a container

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