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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 120 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: wax · content · chip · row · leaves · scale · lie · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. row — to paddle
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. content — the amount
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. scale — size or range
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wax — to grow
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. scale — in music
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. chip — for betting
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. content — happy
  16. row — a line
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. chair — a leader

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