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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: charge · bark · chest · vault · prune · wax · can · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. vault — a safe
  3. can — a tin
  4. chest — of your body
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. chest — of your body
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. season — in sport
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chest — a box
  18. can — to be able to
  19. charge — electricity
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. can — a tin
  23. wax — to grow
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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