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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: charge · chair · pop · lie · face · wax · rush · lash

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pop — to visit
  5. charge — a price
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pop — music
  11. charge — electricity
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pop — soda
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chair — a leader
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rush — hurry

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