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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · sharp · kick · key · charge · perch · last · chair

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. charge — electricity
  5. last — to go on
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. kick — in football
  19. key — in music
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. last — final
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. last — finally

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