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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. board — to get on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. can — to be able to
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. can — a tin
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wax — to grow
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. board — a committee
  22. can — a tin
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pitcher — a jug

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