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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wake — a trail
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. scale — in music
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bark — to shout
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mark — a trace
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mark — a grade
  21. chair — a leader
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. snap — to click

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