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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
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: stand · club · rule · spell · wax · date · chair · mine

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. date — the fruit
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. spell — a short time
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rule — government
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. club — for dancing
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stand — to bear
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. wax — to grow
  19. club — for golf
  20. spell — letters
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. club — a group
  24. stand — on your feet

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