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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. season — of the year
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. toast — bread
  5. wax — to grow
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bulb — for light
  11. season — in sport
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. kid — to tease
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. kid — child
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pass — a permit

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