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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.

Make a worksheet

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: toast · fork · firm · cap · drill · wax · chair · bass

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. fork — in a road
  7. chair — a leader
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. drill — the tool
  11. firm — steady
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bass — the fish
  16. firm — a company
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. cap — a lid
  20. toast — bread
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bass — low music
  23. firm — decided
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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