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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 120 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: leaves · current · wax · chair · plane · lash · file · bay

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wax — to grow
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. file — a document
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. file — a line of people
  20. chair — a leader
  21. current — happening now
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. file — a tool
  24. bay — a horse colour

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