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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: rush · spell · mate · cap · wind · wax · charge · fine

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. charge — in control
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. charge — a price
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fine — all right
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mate — a partner
  14. cap — a lid
  15. spell — letters
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cap — a hat
  19. spell — magic
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mate — to breed
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. cap — of ice

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