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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. charge — in control
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. cap — of ice
  5. craft — a skill
  6. charge — a price
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. charge — electricity
  18. craft — boats
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hand — help
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. squash — to crush
  24. hand — in cards

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