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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. charge — in control
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. charge — a price
  19. race — a contest
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bark — to shout
  24. ball — a dance

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