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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. present — the time now
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. mark — a grade
  18. branch — a division
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mark — a trace
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. sharp — with an edge

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