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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mate — to breed
  4. firm — decided
  5. charge — a price
  6. firm — a company
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cold — an illness
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wax — to grow
  22. firm — steady
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. charge — in control

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