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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 120 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: charge · wax · craft · rash · scale · swing · net · lean

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. rash — a series
  3. scale — in music
  4. craft — boats
  5. net — after costs
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. net — for catching
  8. charge — a price
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. charge — in control
  13. scale — size or range
  14. swing — music
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. net — in sport
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rash — hasty
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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