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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.

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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: clip · charge · face · wake · mug · track · wax · bore

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. clip — to cut
  3. track — a song
  4. mug — a cup
  5. face — to point toward
  6. charge — a price
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. charge — in control
  14. clip — for paper
  15. face — to confront
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wake — a trail
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. clip — a video
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mug — a face

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