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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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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: pound · rest · rock · charge · swing · deal · wax · bay

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rest — a break
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. swing — to play on
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. pound — a weight
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rock — music
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rest — what's left
  21. swing — in golf
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. swing — music
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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