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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 116 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: charge · fan · wax · kid · rest · bowl · spring · bank

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rest — what's left
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. spring — the season
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. spring — a coil
  8. charge — in control
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bank — of a river
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bank — for money
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bank — for money
  18. spring — of water
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rest — a break
  21. charge — a price
  22. kid — child
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wax — for sculpting

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