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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · charge · spell · mate · wave · fall · scale · lash

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — in music
  14. fall — the season
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mate — to breed
  18. fall — to drop
  19. spell — letters
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mate — a friend
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. lash — to lash out

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