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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: chair · straw · fan · wax · charge · foot · leaves · pitch

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. charge — in control
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. charge — a price
  16. pitch — completely
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. chair — a leader
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. straw — a straw man

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