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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. last — to go on
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mate — a partner
  18. last — final
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. charge — in control
  22. last — finally
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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