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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.

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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: bore · bay · capital · chair · wax · swing · fine · charge

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. fine — high quality
  5. swing — music
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. capital — money
  8. fine — all right
  9. bore — to tire
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. charge — in control
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. charge — a price
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. swing — to play on
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. capital — a city
  24. swing — in golf

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