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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. face — part of the head
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wax — to grow
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. squash — to crush
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. suit — to fit
  14. band — a ring
  15. face — to confront
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. chair — a leader
  18. face — to point toward
  19. suit — in cards
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. calf — of the leg

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