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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mark — a grade
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mug — to rob
  5. cap — a lid
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. plane — a tool
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mug — a cup
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cap — of ice
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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