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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · wax · mark · chair · wave · bound · sharp · date

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bound — tied together
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bound — certain
  11. chair — a leader
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. date — the fruit
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mark — a trace
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mark — to pay attention

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