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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: ruler · charge · wax · leaves · wave · field · snap · lean

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. field — farmland
  3. wax — to grow
  4. charge — electricity
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. charge — in control
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. snap — to click
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. charge — a price
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. lean — thin

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