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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: safe · charge · shower · stock · wax · snap · patient · firm

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. shower — rain
  4. firm — decided
  5. snap — to click
  6. charge — electricity
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. charge — in control
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stock — goods
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wax — to grow
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. firm — steady
  17. charge — a price
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. stock — shares
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. firm — a company

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