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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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 — in the ear
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pop — to visit
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pop — music
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. charge — a price
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pop — soda
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rule — a law
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rule — government
  21. wax — to grow
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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