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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
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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: jam · court · nail · craft · chair · land · wind · wax

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. land — a country
  3. wind — moving air
  4. land — ground
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. craft — a skill
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. chair — a leader
  10. court — of law
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. court — of a king
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. court — for sport
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. wax — to grow
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. land — to come down
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wax — for sculpting

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