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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. current — of water
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wax — to grow
  8. current — happening now
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. cue — a hint
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. cue — a signal
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. current — electric
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cue — for pool

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