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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: mine · wound · mouse · stand · charge · wake · face · wax

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. charge — a price
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wound — an injury
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mine — for digging
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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