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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: tear · fine · chair · date · wax · pass · charge · patient

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pass — a permit
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fine — high quality
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. charge — electricity
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fine — all right
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. tear — from crying
  24. date — the fruit

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