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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · coach · charge · bulb · jam · wax · clip · patient

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. clip — for paper
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bulb — for light
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. charge — electricity
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. season — of the year
  15. charge — a price
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bulb — for light
  18. season — in sport
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. charge — in control
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. jam — a tight spot

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