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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: row · game · charge · lash · lie · cap · bark · wax

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. game — a match
  4. cap — a hat
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. row — a line
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. row — to paddle
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. cap — of ice
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wax — to grow
  23. charge — electricity
  24. lie — an untruth

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