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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.

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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: cap · kick · rash · pass · land · bear · charge · wax

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wax — to grow
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rash — hasty
  11. land — ground
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. kick — in football
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. charge — in control
  17. land — to come down
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. charge — electricity
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rash — a series
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. land — a country

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