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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wax — to grow
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bulb — for light
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. charge — in control
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pitch — completely
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. charge — electricity
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wax — for sculpting

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