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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. tear — to rip
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wax — to grow
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. charge — a price
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. suit — in cards
  19. object — to protest
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. branch — a division
  22. tear — from crying
  23. charge — in control
  24. ball — a round shape

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