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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rule — government
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rule — a law
  11. chair — a leader
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. roll — a cake
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cell — in biology
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wax — to grow
  21. date — the fruit
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. deal — to handle
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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