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

Word bank: patient · wax · chair · bay · chest · kick

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. chest — a box
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. chair — a leader
  8. kick — in football
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wax — to grow
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. chair — a professorship

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