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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. can — a tin
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. charge — a price
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stand — to bear
  11. club — a group
  12. charge — electricity
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. club — for golf
  21. can — to be able to
  22. dip — to sink
  23. charge — in control
  24. can — a tin

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