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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. board — to get on
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. board — a committee
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. drill — a practice
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. drill — the tool
  14. degree — an amount
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wax — to grow
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. plane — a tool
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. degree — from a university

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