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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. charge — in control
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rule — government
  6. pop — music
  7. net — in sport
  8. pop — soda
  9. spring — the season
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rock — music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pop — to visit
  15. spring — a coil
  16. net — after costs
  17. rule — a law
  18. spring — of water
  19. net — for catching
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. charge — a price
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rock — to move gently

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