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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: fine · charge · pitch · wax · last · hide · bear · game

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. last — to go on
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fine — high quality
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. bear — the animal
  11. last — final
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fine — all right
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. charge — a price
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. last — finally
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. game — a match

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