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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: spell · wax · rest · patient · wave · cell · charge · rock

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. spell — magic
  4. wax — to grow
  5. spell — letters
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. charge — electricity
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. charge — in control
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. charge — a price
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rest — a break
  19. rock — music
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cell — in biology
  22. rest — what's left
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cell — a phone

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