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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. charge — a price
  4. march — music
  5. wax — to grow
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. scale — in music
  10. march — the month
  11. scale — size or range
  12. march — the month
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stock — shares
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rule — government
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stock — goods
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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