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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: hide · dip · rash · degree · fall · rule · wax · charge

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. degree — from a university
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. degree — temperature
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. dip — to sink
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rule — a law
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rash — hasty
  19. degree — an amount
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. rule — government

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