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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · ball · mine · shower · chair · cabinet · toast · mark

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. shower — to wash
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. chair — a leader
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. toast — bread

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