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

Word bank: cell · rash · pound · dip · fork · wax · bear · chair

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pound — a weight
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cell — a phone
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rash — a series

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