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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fork — in a road
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. last — to go on
  11. swing — to play on
  12. last — final
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. swing — music
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. last — finally
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wax — in the ear

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