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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bass — the fish
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. charge — in control
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. current — electric
  9. clip — a video
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bass — low music
  14. chip — for betting
  15. toast — bread
  16. current — happening now
  17. clip — to cut
  18. charge — a price
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. charge — electricity
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. current — of water
  23. chip — to eat
  24. clip — for paper

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