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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: chair · saw · pitch · fan · wax · content · hide · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bound — tied together
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. content — the amount
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. chair — a leader
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bound — obliged
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. wax — to grow
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fan — a supporter

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