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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: race · charge · mark · safe · tear · hide · wax · content

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mark — a grade
  3. tear — to rip
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. race — a contest
  6. content — happy
  7. wax — to grow
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. race — humankind
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. content — the amount
  13. tear — from crying
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tear — from crying
  16. charge — in control
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. charge — electricity
  19. race — the arms race
  20. mark — a trace
  21. charge — a price
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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