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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. net — for catching
  4. bear — the animal
  5. present — a gift
  6. land — a country
  7. land — ground
  8. wax — to grow
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. present — the time now
  11. land — to come down
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. hand — help
  14. charge — a price
  15. net — after costs
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. hand — in cards
  19. net — in sport
  20. bear — the animal
  21. present — there
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  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