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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 120 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.

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: foot · drill · chip · plane · object · chair · wax · track

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chip — for betting
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. plane — a tool
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. track — to keep track
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. track — a path
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. track — a song
  15. drill — the tool
  16. object — a thing
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. drill — a practice
  19. foot — a measure
  20. drill — army training
  21. chip — to eat
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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