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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stock — goods
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. squash — the sport
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bear — the animal
  24. temple — a place of worship

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