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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 · temple · bat · rash · wax · mine · mark · rock

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rock — music
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mark — a trace
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. charge — a price
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. charge — in control
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. temple — a place of worship

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