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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. row — to paddle
  4. net — for catching
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rule — a law
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. squash — the sport
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. fall — the season
  16. rule — government
  17. row — a line
  18. chair — a leader
  19. net — after costs
  20. fall — to drop
  21. net — in sport
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. chair — a professorship

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