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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.

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: calf · chip · clip · content · cap · face · wax · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — a video
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wax — to grow
  7. charge — a price
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chip — to eat
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. face — to confront
  13. cap — a lid
  14. content — the amount
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. clip — to cut
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. chip — for betting
  20. charge — in control
  21. content — happy
  22. face — to point toward
  23. cap — of ice
  24. wax — in the ear

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