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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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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: chair · bowl · fall · craft · wax · key · ruler · mouse

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chair — a leader
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fall — the season
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. key — in music
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. craft — boats
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wax — to grow
  24. craft — a handicraft

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