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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 120 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. key — for a lock
  4. can — a tin
  5. drill — the tool
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. drill — a practice
  8. can — to be able to
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. charge — electricity
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. key — the most important part
  15. charge — in control
  16. key — in music
  17. rush — hurry
  18. drill — army training
  19. can — a tin
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. perch — the fish

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