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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 124 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. can — a tin
  3. charge — in control
  4. root — of a word
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. can — a tin
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. charge — a price
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. root — the cause
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wave — of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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