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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. charge — electricity
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wax — to grow
  7. charge — a price
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. charge — in control
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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