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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: firm · wax · leaves · tear · spell · wake · coach · charge

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. tear — from crying
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. spell — magic
  6. wake — a trail
  7. tear — to rip
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. tear — from crying
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. firm — decided
  14. wax — to grow
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. charge — a price
  19. spell — letters
  20. firm — steady
  21. spell — a short time
  22. firm — a company
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wax — in the ear

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