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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 116 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. track — a song
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wax — to grow
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. track — a path
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bass — the fish
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. shower — to wash
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cue — a signal
  20. shower — rain
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chair — a leader

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