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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 · fan · cap · wax · rock · date · season · patient

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rock — music
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. charge — a price
  9. season — of the year
  10. cap — of ice
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. charge — in control
  13. cap — a lid
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. cap — a hat
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. season — in sport
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. season — to add flavour

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