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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. race — the arms race
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. race — humankind
  12. kick — in football
  13. race — a contest
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wax — to grow
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ruler — a monarch

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