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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. scale — size or range
  6. current — of water
  7. rule — a law
  8. clip — a video
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. current — happening now
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rule — government
  15. fine — high quality
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. charge — in control
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wax — to grow
  20. current — electric
  21. scale — in music
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — for paper
  24. fine — all right

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