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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.

Make a worksheet

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: charge · bowl · spell · rest · wax · bat

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spell — magic
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. spell — letters
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bat — the animal
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rest — a break
  18. spell — a short time

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