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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stock — shares
  7. roll — a list
  8. charge — in control
  9. spring — of water
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. roll — a cake
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stock — goods
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. spring — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mouse — for a computer

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