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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: wax · club · charge · root · rash · nail · lean · fine

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fine — all right
  5. lean — thin
  6. root — of a word
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. charge — a price
  9. fine — high quality
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lean — to bend
  13. root — of a plant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. club — a group
  16. charge — in control
  17. rash — a series
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wax — to grow
  22. root — the cause
  23. club — for golf
  24. rash — on the skin

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