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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pass — a permit
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. last — to go on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bulb — for light
  8. last — final
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. charge — in control
  13. file — a document
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. last — finally
  17. charge — a price
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. file — a tool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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