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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 120 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cap — a lid
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. face — to confront
  17. suit — to fit
  18. face — to point toward
  19. suit — in cards
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wax — to grow
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. suit — clothes

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