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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: deal · roll · charge · wax · chest · mate · bowl · foot

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. charge — electricity
  3. roll — a cake
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. chest — of your body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. chest — a box
  10. charge — in control
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mate — a partner
  18. charge — a price
  19. roll — a list
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. deal — to handle

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