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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. charge — a price
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bat — the animal
  11. last — final
  12. wax — to grow
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. charge — in control
  16. rash — a series
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. last — finally
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. last — to go on
  24. wax — in the ear

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