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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tear · cabinet · charge · rule · scale · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rule — a law
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. tear — from crying
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. scale — size or range
  11. charge — a price
  12. tear — to rip
  13. scale — in music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rule — government
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wax — to grow

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