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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bulb — for light
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitch — completely
  15. season — in sport
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bound — certain
  19. season — of the year
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bound — obliged
  24. charge — in control

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