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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
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 · charge · squash · fan · straw · rash · key · present

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. present — the time now
  3. key — the most important part
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rash — a series
  6. squash — the sport
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. present — a gift
  13. key — for a lock
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. rash — hasty
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. key — in music
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. present — there
  22. charge — in control
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wax — to grow

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