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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: ruler · bark · cue · wax · pass · sharp · rash · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rash — hasty
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rash — a series
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cue — a hint
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pass — a permit
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rash — on the skin

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