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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. charge — in control
  7. shower — rain
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. land — to come down
  11. can — to be able to
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. land — ground
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. charge — a price
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. land — a country
  21. can — a tin
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wax — in the ear

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