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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. charge — a price
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wound — an injury
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pit — in a race
  16. craft — a skill
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bulb — for light
  20. craft — boats
  21. charge — in control
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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