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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: dip · wax · chair · charge · hide · bay · saw · root

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. dip — to sink
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wax — to grow
  7. charge — in control
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. root — of a word
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. charge — electricity
  17. root — the cause
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chair — a leader
  21. root — of a plant
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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