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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wake — a trail
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. cap — a hat
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cap — a lid
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wax — to grow

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