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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: stick · march · fan · rush · stem · pop · charge · wax

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pop — music
  5. march — the month
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. charge — in control
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pop — soda
  14. march — the month
  15. wax — to grow
  16. charge — a price
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pop — to visit
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. march — music
  24. stem — of a plant

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