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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: fine · object · wax · track · charge · cold · bat · hand

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. cold — not warm
  3. charge — electricity
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. charge — in control
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. track — a path
  10. cold — an illness
  11. hand — help
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fine — all right
  16. track — a song
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. object — an aim
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. charge — a price
  22. wax — to grow
  23. hand — in cards
  24. track — to keep track

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