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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: trunk · mouse · band · chair · stick · key · wax · charge

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. band — a ring
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. charge — a price
  7. band — a music group
  8. charge — in control
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. key — for a lock
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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