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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. firm — steady
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. firm — decided
  6. chair — a leader
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rock — a stone
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. kid — to tease
  14. saw — the tool
  15. firm — a company
  16. rock — music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bank — for money
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bank — of a river
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. sharp — clever
  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