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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: last · object · cell · charge · file · can · wax · pass

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. can — a tin
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pass — a permit
  7. file — a document
  8. last — final
  9. charge — a price
  10. object — to protest
  11. charge — in control
  12. can — a tin
  13. last — to go on
  14. file — a line of people
  15. last — finally
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. object — a thing
  18. file — a tool
  19. object — an aim
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cell — in biology
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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