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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: deal · lie · charge · pit · shower · wax · calf · march

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. march — music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. lie — to recline
  7. charge — a price
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. charge — electricity
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. march — the month
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. charge — in control
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — rain
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. march — the month
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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