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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. current — happening now
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mine — for digging
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bore — to tire
  12. chair — a leader
  13. current — of water
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. vault — a safe
  17. current — electric
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bore — gave birth

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