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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bulb — for light
  3. file — a tool
  4. object — an aim
  5. spell — letters
  6. cap — a hat
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. object — to protest
  11. pitch — completely
  12. file — a document
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. cap — a lid
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. bulb — for light
  21. charge — a price
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. object — a thing

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