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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.

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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: rush · charge · lie · club · wax · sharp · row · chip

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. wax — to grow
  2. club — a group
  3. chip — for betting
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. club — for golf
  6. charge — in control
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. charge — a price
  18. sharp — clever
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rush — hurry
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. row — a line
  23. lie — an untruth
  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