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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: bulb · charge · march · track · saw · wax · wake · roll

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. charge — in control
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. march — the month
  5. charge — a price
  6. saw — the tool
  7. march — the month
  8. saw — the tool
  9. track — to keep track
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. roll — a list
  13. wax — to grow
  14. roll — a cake
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. track — a song
  19. bulb — for light
  20. march — music
  21. track — a path
  22. charge — electricity
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bulb — for light

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