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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 120 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: wax · leaves · march · pass · snap · file · charge · trunk

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pass — a permit
  6. march — the month
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. charge — in control
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. file — a tool
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wax — to grow
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. charge — electricity
  22. snap — to click
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pass — to succeed

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