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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · tube · deal · charge · wax · content · pass · press

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. land — to come down
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. charge — in control
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pass — a permit
  8. tube — the underground
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. press — to push
  11. charge — a price
  12. content — the amount
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. deal — to handle
  15. land — ground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. press — a publisher
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. charge — electricity
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. tube — a container
  22. land — a country
  23. wax — to grow
  24. content — happy

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