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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wax — to grow
  10. date — the fruit
  11. mug — a face
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. court — of law
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. deal — to handle
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mug — a cup
  20. court — of a king
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. court — for sport
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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