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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: content · deal · wax · fall · chair · lash · hand · leaves

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. chair — a leader
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. content — the amount
  11. deal — to handle
  12. hand — help
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fall — the season
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. content — happy
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. deal — a big deal
  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