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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. roll — a cake
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ground — crushed
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wax — to grow
  9. charge — electricity
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. snap — to click
  13. ground — the earth
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. charge — a price
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. ground — a position
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. roll — a list

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