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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 116 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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468
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: object · racket · wax · clip · fine · cell · charge · patient

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. cell — in biology
  2. fine — all right
  3. clip — a video
  4. cell — a phone
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. clip — for paper
  11. charge — a price
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wax — to grow
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. clip — to cut
  21. fine — high quality
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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