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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. stand — to bear
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. chair — a leader
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wax — to grow
  10. content — happy
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. content — the amount
  24. mark — a trace

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