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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: wax · chair · sharp · racket · calf · track · mouse · bay

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. track — a song
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. track — a path
  22. chair — a leader
  23. calf — a young animal
  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