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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.

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: wave · bore · wax · kick · lie · band · charge · game

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. charge — in control
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. band — a ring
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lie — to recline
  14. game — wild animals
  15. kick — in football
  16. band — a music group
  17. wax — to grow
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. band — a rubber band

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