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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.

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 · chair · hand · lie · chip · fine · rock · cap

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hand — help
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rock — music
  12. fine — high quality
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fine — all right
  19. cap — a lid
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rock — to move gently

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