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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. charge — in control
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. charge — electricity
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ground — a position
  9. perch — the fish
  10. track — a song
  11. ground — the earth
  12. charge — a price
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mine — for digging
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ground — crushed
  24. track — a path

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