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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. spell — letters
  4. chair — a leader
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fork — in a road
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wax — to grow
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. spell — magic
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wax — for sculpting

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