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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: cabinet · calf · wake · chair · can · file · wax · face

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. can — a tin
  4. wake — a trail
  5. face — part of the head
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. file — a document
  9. chair — a leader
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. face — to confront
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. file — a tool
  17. face — to point toward
  18. file — a line of people
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. can — to be able to
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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