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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: hand · bowl · charge · nail · wax · date · bound · trunk

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. charge — electricity
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. charge — a price
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bound — certain
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hand — help
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wax — to grow
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bound — obliged

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