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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.

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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: lie · kid · fork · wake · wave · kick · charge · wax

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wake — a trail
  4. charge — a price
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. charge — in control
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. kick — in football
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fork — in a road
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  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