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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 120 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: pitcher · staff · charge · wax · chair · spring · lie · cap

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. spring — the season
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. staff — employees
  7. cap — a lid
  8. charge — in control
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. charge — a price
  12. spring — of water
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cap — a hat
  17. chair — a leader
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wax — to grow
  22. staff — a stick
  23. charge — electricity
  24. staff — employees

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