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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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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 · mate · kick · prune · lash · cabinet · snap · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mate — to breed
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. charge — in control
  5. wax — to grow
  6. kick — in football
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mate — a partner
  10. snap — to click
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. mate — a friend
  24. charge — electricity

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