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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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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: charge · kick · wax · bound · wake · board · rock · roll

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. roll — a list
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. roll — a cake
  5. board — a committee
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rock — music
  12. charge — a price
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. board — to get on
  15. charge — in control
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wake — a trail
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bound — certain

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