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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. spring — of water
  3. pit — a hole
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. fine — high quality
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. spring — the season
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. charge — a price
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fine — all right
  17. band — a ring
  18. pit — in a race
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. fall — to drop
  22. band — a music group
  23. charge — in control
  24. fall — the season

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