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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. track — a path
  4. spring — of water
  5. firm — steady
  6. track — a song
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. charge — in control
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. branch — a division
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wax — to grow
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. track — to keep track
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — a coil
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  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