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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: temple · race · pass · march · charge · wax · lash · straw

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — a contest
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. march — the month
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. march — the month
  13. pass — a permit
  14. march — music
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. race — humankind
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. charge — in control
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wax — to grow
  24. charge — a price

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