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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. wax — to grow
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pit — a hole
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rest — what's left
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pit — in a race
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rest — a break
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. game — a match
  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