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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: key · bound · wake · wax · leaves · swing · charge · rash

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. charge — a price
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rash — hasty
  9. charge — electricity
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bound — obliged
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bound — certain
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wax — to grow
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rash — a series
  23. wake — a trail
  24. charge — in control

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