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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: hand · club · safe · wax · season · fall · stock · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fall — to drop
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wax — to grow
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fall — the season
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stock — goods
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stock — shares
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. fall — to drop
  17. season — in sport
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. club — a group
  20. season — of the year
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. hand — help
  24. charge — a price

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