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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: wax · ground · deal · cold · fall · charge · bound · cue

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bound — certain
  4. charge — in control
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. charge — electricity
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fall — to drop
  12. charge — a price
  13. wax — to grow
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cold — not warm
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cue — a hint
  22. ground — a position
  23. bound — obliged
  24. cue — a signal

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