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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. roll — a cake
  8. pop — to visit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. roll — a list
  12. pop — music
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rush — hurry
  15. kid — to tease
  16. pop — soda
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. kid — child
  21. chair — a leader
  22. wax — to grow
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. wax — for sculpting

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