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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.

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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
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: march · bay · wound · staff · racket · wax · chip · can

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. march — the month
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. march — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. staff — employees
  8. march — the month
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. staff — employees
  13. wax — to grow
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wound — an injury
  18. can — a tin
  19. chip — for betting
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. staff — a stick

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