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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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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 · rash · charge · swing · wax · bowl · content · leaves

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. swing — music
  3. charge — a price
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. tear — from crying
  14. charge — in control
  15. content — the amount
  16. wax — to grow
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. content — happy
  24. swing — in golf

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