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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. press — to push
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. shower — rain
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. charge — in control
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wax — to grow
  18. press — a publisher
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. club — for golf
  23. plane — a tool
  24. press — newspapers

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