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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. saw — the tool
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. clip — for paper
  13. charge — in control
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. object — to protest
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — a video
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. object — a thing
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. object — an aim

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