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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. cap — of ice
  3. charge — a price
  4. wax — to grow
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. pop — music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pop — soda
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cold — not warm
  18. kid — child
  19. cap — a lid
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bark — to shout
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pop — to visit
  24. kid — to tease

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