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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: drill · wax · stem · calf · charge · wake · content · hide

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. drill — a practice
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. drill — the tool
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. charge — in control
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wax — to grow
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. drill — army training
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. charge — a price
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. content — happy
  24. hide — to keep secret

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