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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: can · rule · branch · safe · chair · chest · wax · court

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. court — of a king
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rule — a law
  8. court — of law
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. branch — a division
  11. can — a tin
  12. wax — to grow
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. court — for sport
  21. chest — a box
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rule — government

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