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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 108 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.

Make a worksheet

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: wax · cap · ground · chair · wave · cabinet

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. ground — crushed
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chair — a leader
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. ground — a position
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. ground — the earth
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cap — of ice

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