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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. clip — a video
  5. rush — hurry
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. charge — a price
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. charge — in control
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — for paper
  24. wax — to grow

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