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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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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: tear · charge · fine · pitcher · calf · roll · rush · wax

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. tear — from crying
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wax — to grow
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. fine — all right
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fine — high quality
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. roll — a list
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. tear — to rip
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pitcher — a jug

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