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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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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 · root · perch · safe · row · charge · tear · cap

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. cap — a lid
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. charge — electricity
  8. root — the cause
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cap — a hat
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. row — to paddle
  16. cap — of ice
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. row — a line
  24. tear — to rip

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