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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 120 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. charge — electricity
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lie — to recline
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. snap — to click
  9. charge — a price
  10. stand — to bear
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. scale — in music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. season — of the year
  15. wax — to grow
  16. charge — in control
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. season — in sport
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. scale — size or range
  22. staff — employees
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. staff — a stick

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