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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 120 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. rock — a stone
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a skill
  9. foot — a measure
  10. band — a music group
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rock — music
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. plane — a tool

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