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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rule — government
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. hand — in cards
  8. wound — an injury
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mark — a grade
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rule — a law
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. suit — to fit
  20. perch — the fish
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. hand — help
  24. mark — a trace

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