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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. board — to get on
  4. hand — help
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. hand — in cards
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fine — all right
  12. suit — to fit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. saw — the tool
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. suit — clothes
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. fine — high quality
  24. board — a committee

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