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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. charge — a price
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wax — to grow
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bass — the fish
  11. game — wild animals
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bass — low music
  14. face — to point toward
  15. drill — army training
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. charge — in control
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. face — to confront
  24. game — a match

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