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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
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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: season · charge · track · fine · trunk · saw · wax · mouse

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fine — all right
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. season — of the year
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. charge — electricity
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wax — to grow
  15. saw — the tool
  16. season — in sport
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. track — to keep track
  19. charge — in control
  20. track — a path
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. track — a song
  23. charge — a price
  24. fine — a penalty

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