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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 120 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 · cabinet · board · chest · tube · wax · season · can

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. charge — electricity
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. charge — in control
  6. season — in sport
  7. can — to be able to
  8. charge — a price
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. season — of the year
  13. chest — of your body
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. chest — a box
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — to get on
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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