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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.

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: degree · wave · key · wax · chair · last · bear · bark

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. key — in music
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chair — a leader
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. degree — an amount
  8. last — to go on
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. last — finally
  14. bark — to shout
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. degree — from a university
  20. last — final
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wax — to grow
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bear — to put up with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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