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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mug — to rob
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. shower — rain
  13. hand — help
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. shower — to wash
  23. craft — boats
  24. wax — for sculpting

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