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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wax — to grow
  4. drill — the tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. pop — soda
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bass — the fish
  11. charge — a price
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bass — low music
  15. face — part of the head
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. drill — army training
  20. face — to confront
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pop — music
  23. game — a match
  24. charge — electricity

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