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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: wake · root · swing · bark · charge · rush · nail · wax

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. charge — a price
  3. wake — a trail
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. swing — music
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bark — to shout
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. swing — in golf
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rush — hurry
  17. swing — to play on
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. root — of a plant

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