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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: wax · face · key · cabinet · mark · court · charge · patient

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. charge — a price
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. key — in music
  7. mark — a grade
  8. charge — electricity
  9. court — of law
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wax — to grow
  12. court — for sport
  13. mark — a trace
  14. charge — in control
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. court — of a king
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. face — to point toward
  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