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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: rest · bark · charge · pit · plane · wax · wake · game

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. game — a match
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. charge — in control
  8. plane — a tool
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pit — a hole
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rest — what's left

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