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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. net — for catching
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wax — to grow
  11. net — after costs
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ground — the earth
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. board — a committee
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. net — in sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. board — to get on

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