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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: cabinet · chair · charge · pop · track · leaves · wax · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. charge — electricity
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — music
  18. chest — of your body
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. charge — in control
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. track — a song
  23. charge — a price
  24. wax — to grow

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