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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mug — to rob
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. charge — in control
  5. mug — a face
  6. charge — a price
  7. court — of law
  8. wax — to grow
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. court — of a king
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. date — the fruit
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bass — the fish
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. band — a music group
  19. mug — a cup
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. band — a ring
  23. court — for sport
  24. date — on the calendar

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