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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 120 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: charge · wax · content · wound · ruler · pit · rash · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wax — to grow
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rash — a series
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pit — in a race
  16. content — the amount
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. charge — a price
  21. content — happy
  22. charge — in control
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wound — an injury

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