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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. last — finally
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. last — to go on
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. band — a music group
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chair — a leader
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. last — final
  16. ball — a dance
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. band — a ring
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. ball — a great time

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