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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. roll — a list
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. board — to get on
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. deal — to handle
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. roll — a cake
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. board — a committee
  17. toast — bread
  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