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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · arm · fine · roll · vault · cell · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cell — a phone
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fine — high quality
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. charge — a price
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wax — to grow
  10. vault — a safe
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. fine — all right
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. roll — a list
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cell — in a prison

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