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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: cell · wound · wax · calf · charge · lean · spring · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. cell — a phone
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. lean — to bend
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wound — an injury
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. lean — thin
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cell — in biology
  14. spring — the season
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. charge — a price
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cell — in a prison

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