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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. rock — a stone
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. march — music
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rock — music
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pit — a hole
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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