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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 116 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: can · charge · bay · file · chair · drill · trunk · wax

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. can — to be able to
  4. drill — the tool
  5. chair — a leader
  6. wax — to grow
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. file — a document
  18. can — a tin
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. charge — in control
  24. can — a tin

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