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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. charge — a price
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wax — to grow
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. charge — electricity
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bass — low music
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. board — to get on
  15. tube — a container
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. charge — in control
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bass — the fish
  24. board — a committee

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