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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: charge · cap · can · wax · track · lash · key · stick

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cap — of ice
  3. charge — electricity
  4. can — to be able to
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cap — a hat
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. can — a tin
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. can — a tin
  21. charge — in control
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wax — to grow
  24. charge — a price

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