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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. clip — for paper
  5. march — the month
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. charge — in control
  11. clip — a video
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. spell — a short time
  14. club — a group
  15. march — music
  16. clip — to cut
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. march — the month
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. club — for golf
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pass — a permit
  24. club — for dancing

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