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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. last — finally
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mug — a face
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rest — a break
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pass — a permit
  21. last — to go on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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