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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 116 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mine — for digging
  4. charge — in control
  5. present — the time now
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. band — a music group
  9. track — to keep track
  10. present — a gift
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. track — a path
  16. mark — a grade
  17. present — there
  18. mug — to rob
  19. track — a song
  20. mug — a cup
  21. wax — to grow
  22. charge — a price
  23. mug — a face
  24. mine — belonging to me

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