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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 120 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: wax · temple · clip · can · rash · fall · race · charge

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. charge — a price
  4. clip — a video
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fall — to drop
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. can — a tin
  11. fall — the season
  12. rash — a series
  13. clip — to cut
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. charge — in control
  16. clip — for paper
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. race — a contest
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. can — a tin
  22. wax — to grow
  23. race — the arms race
  24. temple — a place of worship

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