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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: shower · stick · arm · track · wax · chair · mark · deal

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. track — a path
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. deal — to handle
  14. chair — a leader
  15. shower — to wash
  16. track — a song
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wax — to grow
  21. shower — rain
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. deal — a big deal

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