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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.

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: chest · wax · craft · degree · charge · hide · saw · mouse

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. charge — a price
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. degree — an amount
  9. chest — of your body
  10. charge — in control
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. degree — temperature
  16. chest — a box
  17. degree — from a university
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. charge — electricity
  20. craft — boats
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wax — to grow
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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