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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 116 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. ground — a position
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. charge — a price
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. suit — to fit
  10. ground — the earth
  11. charge — electricity
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. suit — in cards
  15. charge — in control
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. ground — crushed
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. kid — to tease
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. kid — child
  24. wax — to grow

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