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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 116 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: wax · trunk · mine · lash · current · stand · content · charge

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. content — happy
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. current — of water
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. charge — a price
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. charge — in control
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mine — for digging
  19. stand — to bear
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. content — the amount
  24. trunk — of a car

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