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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bass — low music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. chip — for betting
  13. spell — letters
  14. bank — for money
  15. spell — magic
  16. bank — of a river
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bass — the fish
  19. spell — a short time
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chip — to eat
  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