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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: rush · chair · mark · sharp · wax · trunk · dip · rock

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. sharp — clever
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rock — music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. mark — a grade
  24. chair — a professorship

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