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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. cap — a hat
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. roll — a cake
  5. present — a gift
  6. content — the amount
  7. roll — a list
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. charge — in control
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. charge — electricity
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. tube — the underground
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. present — the time now
  19. cap — of ice
  20. charge — a price
  21. content — happy
  22. tube — a container
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. cap — a lid

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