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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.

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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: face · key · wax · fork · last · bay · perch · chair

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. key — in music
  4. fork — in a road
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wax — to grow
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. last — to go on
  9. face — to confront
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. last — finally
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. key — the most important part
  16. face — to point toward
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. face — part of the head
  21. last — final
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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