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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mug — a cup
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wax — to grow
  10. race — a contest
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. race — humankind
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a face
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. charge — in control
  24. race — the arms race

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