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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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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: root · temple · row · wax · charge · clip · fall · vault

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. charge — electricity
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wax — to grow
  7. root — of a word
  8. row — a line
  9. fall — the season
  10. root — of a plant
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. row — to paddle
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. vault — a safe
  15. fall — to drop
  16. charge — in control
  17. fall — to drop
  18. clip — for paper
  19. root — the cause
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. clip — to cut
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. charge — a price
  24. wax — for sculpting

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