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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mug — to rob
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. suit — in cards
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mug — a face
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. suit — to fit
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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