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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: craft · charge · stem · capital · rest · wax · swing · rash

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rest — what's left
  3. craft — a skill
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. capital — money
  7. swing — music
  8. capital — a city
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. craft — boats
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rash — a series
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wax — to grow
  20. swing — to play on
  21. charge — a price
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rest — a break

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