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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — for light
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. snap — to click
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bulb — for light
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. charge — electricity
  11. march — the month
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. staff — employees
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. charge — in control
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. charge — a price
  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