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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: season · lie · craft · chip · fork · wax · charge · last

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. season — in sport
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. chip — to eat
  8. season — of the year
  9. craft — boats
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. last — final
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lie — to recline
  15. last — to go on
  16. charge — in control
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. chip — for betting
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. last — finally
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wax — to grow
  24. season — to add flavour

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