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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. roll — a list
  5. race — humankind
  6. wax — to grow
  7. race — a contest
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. charge — in control
  10. staff — employees
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. staff — a stick
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. content — happy
  18. race — the arms race
  19. staff — employees
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. content — the amount
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rock — music

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