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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: wax · stick · bay · suit · fan · chair · mug · charge

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. suit — to fit
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — in control
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mug — a cup
  17. charge — a price
  18. suit — clothes
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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