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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: present · fine · stand · chair · bowl · spell · mark · wax

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. spell — magic
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mark — a trace
  10. present — a gift
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mark — a grade
  14. spell — letters
  15. fine — all right
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wax — to grow
  21. chair — a leader
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wax — in the ear

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