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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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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: lie · row · charge · rest · snap · wax · present · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lie — to recline
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rest — a break
  6. charge — electricity
  7. present — a gift
  8. chest — a box
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. present — there
  11. rest — what's left
  12. charge — a price
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. charge — in control
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rest — what's left
  18. present — the time now
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. row — a line
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. row — to paddle

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