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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. charge — in control
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fork — in a road
  12. charge — a price
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wax — to grow
  21. snap — to click
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bowl — a dish

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