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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mark — a trace
  3. spring — a coil
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mark — a grade
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. march — music
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. suit — in cards
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bound — certain
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. spring — of water
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. march — the month
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. march — the month
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wax — to grow
  24. spring — the season

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