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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 · pitch · rash · wind · file · saw · temple · charge

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rash — a series
  6. file — a document
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. file — a line of people
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pitch — completely
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. charge — a price
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wind — moving air
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. file — a tool
  22. charge — in control
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rash — hasty

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