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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 116 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: nail · trunk · patient · charge · current · wax · ground · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. charge — in control
  3. ground — crushed
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ground — a position
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. charge — a price
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ground — the earth
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wax — to grow
  13. charge — electricity
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. current — of water
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. current — happening now
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. current — electric

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