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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: prune · object · pass · wax · jam · arm · chest · chair

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. object — an aim
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. chest — a box
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. object — a thing
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pass — a permit
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. object — to protest
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chair — a leader
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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