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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
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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: wax · dip · spell · roll · can · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. spell — a short time
  5. can — a tin
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. spell — magic
  8. can — to be able to
  9. roll — a list
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. wax — to grow
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. spell — letters

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