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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.

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: season · sharp · charge · bear · tube · racket · wax · lie

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. charge — electricity
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. sharp — clever
  7. season — in sport
  8. tube — a container
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wax — to grow
  15. charge — in control
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. charge — a price
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. sharp — exactly

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