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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 116 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: mate · charge · wax · lash · hide · wound · rest · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. charge — a price
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rest — a break
  13. mate — to breed
  14. wax — to grow
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — electricity
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. court — of law
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mate — a partner
  21. court — of a king
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rest — what's left

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