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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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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: fall · bat · spell · charge · wax · cue · saw · bank

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — magic
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bank — for money
  15. charge — in control
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fall — the season
  19. charge — a price
  20. cue — a hint
  21. fall — to drop
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bat — the animal

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