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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: stick · patient · cap · temple · charge · scale · rock · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. scale — size or range
  5. charge — a price
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cap — of ice
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cap — a hat
  11. scale — in music
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. charge — in control
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rock — music
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cap — a lid
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. wax — for sculpting

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