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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rush — hurry
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. perch — the fish
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. chair — a leader
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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