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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. wax — to grow
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pass — a permit
  5. charge — a price
  6. file — a tool
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. firm — steady
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. firm — decided
  13. charge — in control
  14. pop — music
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. file — a document
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cue — for pool
  21. firm — a company
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cue — a hint
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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