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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: rash · cap · charge · fall · present · root · wound · wax

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. wax — to grow
  4. present — there
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wound — an injury
  7. charge — in control
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fall — the season
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rash — a series
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wound — an injury
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cap — of ice
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a word
  24. rash — hasty

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