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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 · field · pound · suit · row · snap · fall · charge

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. fall — to drop
  3. charge — a price
  4. suit — in cards
  5. charge — in control
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. row — a line
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fall — the season
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. field — farmland
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. suit — to fit
  16. field — a subject
  17. pound — a weight
  18. charge — electricity
  19. fall — to drop
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. field — for sport
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. suit — clothes

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