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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.

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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: charge · wax · bank · wound · leaves · staff · squash · can

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. charge — electricity
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bank — of a river
  7. staff — employees
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. staff — a stick
  10. can — a tin
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wound — an injury
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. charge — a price
  16. staff — employees
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bank — for money
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. squash — to crush
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. charge — in control
  24. wound — an injury

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