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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. board — a committee
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wax — to grow
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. hand — in cards
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. board — to get on
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bat — the animal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. hand — help
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bay — a horse colour

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