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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wake — a trail
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wax — to grow
  7. present — there
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. craft — a skill
  10. squash — to crush
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. craft — boats
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. present — the time now
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pitch — completely

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