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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. suit — in cards
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. content — happy
  6. rush — hurry
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. key — in music
  9. content — the amount
  10. charge — electricity
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. suit — to fit
  15. key — the most important part
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. charge — in control
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wax — for sculpting

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