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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. cap — a hat
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wax — to grow
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. drill — a practice
  8. charge — in control
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cap — of ice
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. drill — army training
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bound — obliged
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bound — certain
  17. content — happy
  18. charge — electricity
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bound — tied together
  22. content — the amount
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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