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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. shower — rain
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pass — a permit
  11. shower — to wash
  12. fine — all right
  13. net — for catching
  14. wax — to grow
  15. charge — a price
  16. net — in sport
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. charge — electricity
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fine — high quality
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. net — after costs
  24. ruler — for measuring

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