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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
468
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: bank · tear · wax · charge · craft · cabinet · patient · scale

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bank — of a river
  9. tear — to rip
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. craft — a skill
  12. scale — in music
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. charge — in control
  17. bank — for money
  18. tear — from crying
  19. scale — size or range
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. charge — a price
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. craft — boats
  24. bank — for money

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