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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: rule · bay · jam · leaves · coach · chair · wax · stock

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wax — to grow
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. stock — shares
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rule — a law
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rule — government
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. stock — goods
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. coach — a trainer

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