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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pit — in a race
  4. capital — a city
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pit — a hole
  10. capital — money
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. charge — in control
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pass — to succeed

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