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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chair — a leader
  6. wax — to grow
  7. prune — to trim
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. shower — to wash
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. shower — rain
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wind — moving air
  18. charge — in control
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. charge — a price
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. wind — moving air

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