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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: calf · charge · perch · saw · pitcher · wax · prune · safe

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. prune — to trim
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. prune — to trim
  7. charge — a price
  8. wax — to grow
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. saw — the tool
  22. perch — the fish
  23. saw — the tool
  24. perch — for a bird

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