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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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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. 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. board — a flat piece
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wax — to grow
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. board — a committee
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. board — to get on
  11. kid — to tease
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. kid — child
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. club — for dancing
  18. 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