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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.

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
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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 · rock · court · wax · clip · season · charge · safe

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rock — a stone
  9. tear — to rip
  10. charge — in control
  11. court — for sport
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. season — in sport
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. clip — to cut
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rock — music
  21. charge — a price
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. clip — for paper
  24. tear — from crying

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