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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. court — for sport
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. court — of a king
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. court — of law
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. chip — to eat
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wax — to grow

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