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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bank — for money
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bank — for money
  10. season — of the year
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. board — to get on
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. season — in sport
  20. chair — a leader
  21. board — a committee
  22. pass — a permit
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wax — to grow

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