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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. snap — to click
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. board — a committee
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. staff — employees
  14. board — to get on
  15. staff — a stick
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. chair — a leader
  19. object — to protest
  20. staff — employees
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. last — final
  24. ruler — for measuring

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