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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. spring — a coil
  3. charge — a price
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. charge — electricity
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. ball — a dance
  10. spell — a short time
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. spell — letters
  14. press — to push
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. ball — a great time
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. charge — in control
  20. spell — magic
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pass — to succeed

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