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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.

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: arm · charge · wax · bay · wave · hand · leaves · ball

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. ball — a dance
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. charge — in control
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. charge — electricity
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wax — to grow
  13. hand — in cards
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. hand — help
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. charge — a price
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. ball — a great time
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. ball — a round shape

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