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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chair · snap · sharp · fan · deal · wax · current · tear

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. tear — from crying
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. sharp — clever
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. tear — to rip
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. snap — to click
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. tear — from crying
  23. current — of water
  24. fan — a supporter

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