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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: charge · fine · ruler · leaves · cold · root · wax · spring

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. charge — a price
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. cold — an illness
  5. spring — the season
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. root — the cause
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. spring — a coil
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. fine — all right
  14. root — of a word
  15. charge — electricity
  16. spring — of water
  17. root — of a plant
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. charge — in control
  21. cold — not warm
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wax — to grow
  24. leaves — of a tree

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