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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. swing — music
  4. degree — an amount
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mug — a cup
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. vault — a safe
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. degree — temperature
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. degree — from a university
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mug — a face

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