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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: charge · cold · cue · club · land · wax · bank · bay

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. charge — in control
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bank — for money
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. club — a group
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. land — to come down
  11. cue — for pool
  12. land — a country
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. club — for dancing
  16. land — ground
  17. charge — a price
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bank — for money
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. club — for golf
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bank — of a river

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