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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. charge — electricity
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. hand — in cards
  10. present — there
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. hand — help
  17. rest — a break
  18. present — a gift
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. present — the time now
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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