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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ball — a great time
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wax — to grow
  10. net — after costs
  11. charge — in control
  12. roll — a list
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. chair — a leader
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. roll — a cake
  18. lean — thin
  19. ball — a dance
  20. charge — a price
  21. lean — to bend
  22. charge — electricity
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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