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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. spell — letters
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. charge — electricity
  10. object — a thing
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. charge — a price
  14. object — an aim
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bass — low music
  18. spell — magic
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. foot — a measure
  21. object — to protest
  22. bass — the fish
  23. spell — a short time
  24. charge — in control

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