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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rock — a stone
  11. chair — a leader
  12. date — the fruit
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. wax — to grow
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rock — music

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