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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. charge — a price
  3. press — a publisher
  4. wax — to grow
  5. spell — magic
  6. charge — in control
  7. object — an aim
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wind — moving air
  12. object — to protest
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mug — to rob
  17. object — a thing
  18. press — to push
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mug — a cup
  21. press — newspapers
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. mug — a face
  24. ruler — a monarch

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