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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. chair — a leader
  3. object — to protest
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wax — to grow
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. key — in music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. last — final
  18. squash — the sport
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. object — a thing
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. object — an aim

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