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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: sharp · charge · court · root · branch · jam · wax · wave

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. wax — to grow
  3. charge — electricity
  4. branch — a division
  5. sharp — clever
  6. root — of a plant
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. root — the cause
  10. court — of a king
  11. charge — a price
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. root — of a word
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. court — of law
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. charge — in control
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. court — for sport
  24. wax — for sculpting

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