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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. clip — a video
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wax — to grow
  5. row — a line
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cue — a hint
  9. clip — to cut
  10. charge — in control
  11. pop — to visit
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. charge — electricity
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pop — music
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. clip — for paper
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pop — soda
  24. vault — a safe

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