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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. wax — to grow
  3. charge — in control
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. drill — the tool
  11. kid — to tease
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. cue — a signal
  18. staff — a stick
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. charge — a price
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. drill — army training
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. drill — a practice

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