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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. fine — all right
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wake — a trail
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fine — high quality
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. chair — a leader
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wax — to grow

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