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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: rock · charge · fall · rash · mouse · fork · present · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. fall — the season
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rock — music
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. charge — in control
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rock — a stone
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. charge — a price

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