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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: squash · rush · mark · wax · content · fall · charge · bound

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wax — to grow
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. charge — in control
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. squash — the sport
  14. charge — a price
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bound — certain
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. bound — obliged
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. bound — tied together
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mark — a grade

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