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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. perch — the fish
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. club — for golf
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wax — to grow
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. club — a group

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