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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: saw · wax · racket · object · cap · coach · fan · chair

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. chair — a leader
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. object — an aim
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cap — a hat
  14. object — to protest
  15. saw — the tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wax — to grow
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cap — a lid
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. saw — the tool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. object — a thing

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