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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · mark · toast · content · bowl · rush · chair · wax

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. can — a tin
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rush — hurry
  7. can — to be able to
  8. content — happy
  9. can — a tin
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. mark — a trace
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. chair — a leader
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. content — the amount
  23. toast — bread
  24. wax — to grow

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