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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. suit — in cards
  3. charge — in control
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. suit — to fit
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. club — for golf
  13. charge — a price
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. club — a group
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. suit — clothes

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