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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 120 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. chair — a leader
  3. fall — to drop
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wax — to grow
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. charge — in control
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. club — for dancing
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fall — the season
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. charge — a price
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. fall — to drop
  24. charge — electricity

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