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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: deal · land · key · wind · charge · wax · current · lash

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wind — moving air
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. charge — in control
  12. land — to come down
  13. deal — to handle
  14. land — a country
  15. land — ground
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. charge — electricity
  19. current — happening now
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wind — moving air
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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