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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: stand · bound · wax · shower · season · sharp · stem · charge

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. sharp — clever
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stem — to come from
  5. charge — electricity
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bound — certain
  10. wax — to grow
  11. charge — in control
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. charge — a price
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. shower — rain
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bound — tied together
  22. season — of the year
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. stem — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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