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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wake — a trail
  4. suit — to fit
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. chair — a leader
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. spell — letters
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. spell — magic
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wax — to grow
  20. spell — a short time
  21. suit — clothes
  22. hand — help
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wax — in the ear

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