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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. firm — decided
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. cap — a hat
  8. snap — to click
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cap — of ice
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hand — help
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. firm — steady
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. hand — in cards
  18. chair — a leader
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. firm — a company
  23. cap — a lid
  24. chair — a professorship

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