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

Word bank: firm · foot · land · wax · rule · jam · charge · bark

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. charge — in control
  3. rule — government
  4. firm — steady
  5. foot — a measure
  6. firm — a company
  7. wax — to grow
  8. land — to come down
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. charge — a price
  12. bark — to shout
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. firm — decided
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rule — a law
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. foot — part of the body
  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