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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 120 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: object · sharp · shower · wax · rock · swing · lie · chair

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. swing — music
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. object — a thing
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rock — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. object — to protest
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wax — to grow
  15. sharp — clever
  16. shower — to wash
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. swing — in golf
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. chair — a leader
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. object — an aim
  24. shower — rain

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