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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. last — finally
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. last — to go on
  10. mark — a trace
  11. last — final
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. charge — in control
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bank — for money
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ball — a great time
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bear — to put up with

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