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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: wax · spring · safe · court · tear · charge · kid · mark

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. court — of a king
  3. spring — the season
  4. court — for sport
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. court — of law
  8. kid — child
  9. charge — electricity
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wax — to grow
  13. tear — to rip
  14. kid — to tease
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. charge — in control
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mark — a grade
  21. spring — of water
  22. mark — a trace
  23. charge — a price
  24. wax — in the ear

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