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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: band · charge · wound · wax · craft · patient · swing · bay

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. swing — to play on
  3. charge — electricity
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wax — to grow
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. charge — a price
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. craft — boats
  14. band — a music group
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. craft — a skill
  24. band — a ring

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