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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: cap · trunk · can · patient · scale · dip · wax · charge

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. scale — size or range
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. scale — in music
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. charge — a price
  13. can — a tin
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wax — to grow
  17. can — a tin
  18. cap — a lid
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cap — of ice
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. can — to be able to

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