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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. charge — electricity
  3. firm — a company
  4. charge — in control
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. shower — to wash
  7. tear — from crying
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rest — what's left
  10. present — the time now
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. wax — to grow
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tear — from crying
  17. firm — steady
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rest — a break
  20. charge — a price
  21. present — there
  22. firm — decided
  23. shower — rain
  24. wax — in the ear

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