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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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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: deal · bay · rock · cabinet · content · chair · bear · wax

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. rock — music
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. chair — a leader
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rock — a stone
  18. content — the amount
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. content — happy
  24. cabinet — ministers

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