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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wax · charge · net · kid · racket · drill · lie · root

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. kid — to tease
  5. lie — to recline
  6. drill — a practice
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. net — in sport
  9. root — of a word
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. net — for catching
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. root — of a plant
  15. charge — a price
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. drill — the tool
  18. kid — child
  19. root — the cause
  20. drill — army training
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. net — after costs
  23. charge — in control
  24. wax — in the ear

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