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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — an illness
  5. charge — in control
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. charge — electricity
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wax — to grow
  13. spell — letters
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bore — to tire
  17. spell — magic
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. charge — a price

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