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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 120 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: wake · stick · wax · field · charge · shower · bay · object

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. field — a subject
  3. object — to protest
  4. shower — rain
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. object — a thing
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. charge — a price
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. object — an aim
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. wake — a trail
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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