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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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468
Word bank
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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. roll — a list
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wax — to grow
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. roll — a cake
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. chair — a leader
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. ruler — for measuring

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