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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.

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: charge · wound · content · coach · leaves · bay · wax · mate

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. content — the amount
  3. charge — a price
  4. mate — a friend
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. content — happy
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mate — to breed
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wound — an injury
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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