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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. last — to go on
  3. wax — to grow
  4. board — a committee
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. last — final
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. staff — employees
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. last — finally
  17. board — to get on
  18. wax — for sculpting

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