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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: can · wax · chair · mate · key · mine · deal · bark

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. can — a tin
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. can — a tin
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mate — to breed
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mate — a partner
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. mate — a friend
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mine — for digging

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