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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. fine — high quality
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wake — a trail
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mug — a cup
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fine — all right
  21. rest — a break
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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