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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 · charge · pound · pass · safe · spell · cold · pop

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. charge — a price
  8. spell — letters
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pop — soda
  11. cold — not warm
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. spell — a short time
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pop — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cold — an illness
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wax — to grow
  21. spell — magic
  22. pop — to visit
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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