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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: rest · temple · stick · rule · march · wax · mug · charge

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. charge — in control
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mug — a face
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rule — government
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rest — a break
  10. charge — a price
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. charge — electricity
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. march — music
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rule — a law
  23. rest — what's left
  24. march — the month

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