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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: fork · date · last · safe · rest · charge · branch · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. date — the fruit
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. branch — a division
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. charge — electricity
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wax — to grow
  12. charge — a price
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. charge — in control
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. last — finally
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. last — to go on
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. last — final
  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