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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.

Words on the sheet
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: charge · field · bowl · ruler · lash · wax · march · rush

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. charge — in control
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. march — the month
  7. field — for sport
  8. march — the month
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. field — a subject
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. march — music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. field — farmland
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. charge — a price
  24. ruler — a monarch

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