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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. cold — not warm
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bulb — for light
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cold — an illness
  22. pit — a hole
  23. charge — a price
  24. bound — certain

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