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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. spell — a short time
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wax — to grow
  7. net — in sport
  8. chair — a leader
  9. net — for catching
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. net — after costs
  16. spell — magic
  17. bat — the animal
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. spell — letters
  20. plane — a tool
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. chair — to sit on

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