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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. press — to push
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cell — a phone
  17. charge — a price
  18. wake — a trail
  19. press — newspapers
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. root — of a plant

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