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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rush — hurry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mark — a grade
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. prune — to trim
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — bread
  23. mark — a trace
  24. chair — a leader

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