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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
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: chip · racket · fall · wind · wax · charge · land · rush

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fall — the season
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chip — for betting
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rush — hurry
  14. charge — in control
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. land — to come down
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. land — a country
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. charge — a price

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