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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: wax · season · tear · club · charge · bore · snap · hand

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. tear — from crying
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bore — to tire
  10. charge — a price
  11. hand — in cards
  12. season — in sport
  13. bore — to drill
  14. club — a group
  15. charge — in control
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. charge — electricity
  19. hand — help
  20. snap — to click
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. season — of the year
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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