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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: tear · charge · chip · wound · wax · bark · coach · safe

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wound — an injury
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wound — an injury
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. bark — to shout
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. tear — to rip
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. chip — in a computer

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