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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: chair · charge · leaves · snap · trunk · roll · wax · fine

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. charge — in control
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fine — all right
  9. roll — a cake
  10. chair — a leader
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. fine — high quality
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wax — to grow
  16. snap — to click
  17. charge — a price
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. roll — a list
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. roll — on a roll

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