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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 116 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. charge — a price
  4. key — in music
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cold — not warm
  13. key — the most important part
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. cold — an illness
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. can — a tin
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. shower — rain
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. wax — in the ear
  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