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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. pit — in a race
  2. branch — a division
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. ball — a dance
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. ball — a great time
  7. charge — a price
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pit — a hole
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. kick — in football
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cell — in biology
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. charge — in control
  22. tear — from crying
  23. charge — electricity
  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