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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. season — of the year
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. season — in sport
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. drill — army training
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. tube — the underground
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rock — a stone
  17. charge — a price
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rock — music
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. tube — a container
  24. wax — for sculpting

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