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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 116 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: rock · charge · sharp · ruler · kick · wax · band · mine

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. band — a ring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. charge — in control
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. charge — a price
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. band — a music group
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rock — music
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kick — in football
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mine — belonging to me

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