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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.

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: wake · leaves · chair · wax · drill · cap · bark · saw

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. drill — army training
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bark — to shout
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cap — of ice
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cap — a lid
  19. chair — a leader
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. saw — the tool
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cap — a hat

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