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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wound — an injury
  3. present — the time now
  4. rule — government
  5. field — a subject
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. present — a gift
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wax — to grow
  11. field — farmland
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. charge — in control
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. present — there
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. squash — to crush
  20. charge — a price
  21. squash — the sport
  22. field — for sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rule — a law

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