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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.

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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fine — all right
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wax — to grow
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a leader
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mug — a face
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mug — a cup
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mug — to rob

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