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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: bay · nail · bat · chair · wave · ball · rash · wax

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. chair — a leader
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rash — a series
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bat — for baseball

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