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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
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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: chair · date · bat · nail · hide · suit · wake · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. wax — to grow
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. date — the fruit
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. suit — clothes
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bat — the animal
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. chair — a leader
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wake — a trail
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. date — on the calendar

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