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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bulb — for light
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. charge — in control
  8. object — to protest
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. race — humankind
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. saw — the tool
  17. race — a contest
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bulb — for light
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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