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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. firm — decided
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. season — of the year
  9. firm — steady
  10. season — in sport
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pit — in a race
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. wax — to grow
  16. chair — a leader
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pit — a hole
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. firm — a company

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