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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · stick · land · mouse · game · charge · tear · press

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. charge — in control
  3. tear — from crying
  4. press — newspapers
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. land — a country
  13. game — a match
  14. tear — to rip
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. charge — electricity
  18. press — to push
  19. game — wild animals
  20. charge — a price
  21. land — to come down
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. game — a kind of play

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