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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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: capital · season · fan · wax · lash · pit · charge · safe

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. charge — a price
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. capital — money
  14. season — in sport
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. charge — in control
  19. season — of the year
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. capital — a city
  24. safe — a strongbox

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