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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 · wax · mouse · patient · safe · date · charge · prune

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. season — in sport
  9. prune — to trim
  10. charge — electricity
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. charge — in control
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. date — the fruit
  22. charge — a price
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. date — on the calendar

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