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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. charge — electricity
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. charge — in control
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. present — the time now
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. present — a gift
  15. charge — a price
  16. present — there
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rush — hurry
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. scale — for weighing

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