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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. face — to point toward
  3. shower — to wash
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. shower — rain
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mark — a trace
  10. face — part of the head
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. face — to confront
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. plane — a tool
  20. board — to get on
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. board — a committee
  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