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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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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 · content · wax · cue · pop · saw · trunk · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. cue — for pool
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. chair — a leader
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — the amount
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. content — happy
  12. pop — soda
  13. cue — a hint
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. wax — to grow
  18. saw — the tool
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pop — music

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