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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. drill — army training
  4. wax — to grow
  5. band — a music group
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. drill — a practice
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. drill — the tool
  15. band — a ring
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. chair — to sit on

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