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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chair — a leader
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rush — hurry
  22. branch — a division
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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