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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
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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: toast · spell · cell · chair · sharp · present · mouse · wax

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. spell — letters
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. spell — a short time
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. spell — magic
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. present — the time now
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cell — a phone
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. chair — a leader

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