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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. degree — an amount
  5. charge — in control
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. scale — in music
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wax — to grow
  13. present — there
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rush — hurry
  18. present — a gift
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — from a university
  21. scale — size or range
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. charge — a price

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