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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cold — an illness
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. present — a gift
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wax — to grow
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. present — there
  15. cold — not warm
  16. charge — in control
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. pass — a permit
  24. foot — the bottom

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