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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. cap — of ice
  3. kid — child
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wake — a trail
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cap — a hat
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. cap — a lid
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. kid — to tease
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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