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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.

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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: tube · bore · bay · wax · hide · dip · chair · perch

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. tube — the underground
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. tube — a container
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. wax — to grow
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. perch — the fish
  23. chair — a leader
  24. dip — to sink

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