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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. branch — a division
  3. charge — a price
  4. cue — a hint
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cue — for pool
  18. charge — in control
  19. key — for a lock
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. charge — electricity
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. key — in music
  24. cue — a signal

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