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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: fine · pass · charge · lash · wax · fan · hand · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fine — all right
  5. hand — in cards
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fine — high quality
  15. charge — a price
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. charge — in control
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mine — for digging
  24. hand — help

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