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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: fine · chest · wax · chair · cue · bark · leaves · squash

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fine — all right
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cue — for pool
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. squash — to crush
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chair — a leader
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. leaves — lets stay

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