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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pit — a hole
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. cap — of ice
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cap — a lid
  11. charge — a price
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. charge — in control
  22. tube — the underground
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bark — of a tree

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