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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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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 · chair · bay · safe · season · lean · pound · net

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. net — after costs
  7. chair — a leader
  8. lean — thin
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. net — in sport
  12. season — in sport
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. net — for catching
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. season — of the year
  24. chair — to sit on

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