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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: wax · temple · hand · can · charge · rash · press · trunk

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rash — a series
  11. hand — in cards
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. hand — help
  14. charge — a price
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. can — a tin
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. press — newspapers
  22. can — a tin
  23. charge — in control
  24. hand — part of the body

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