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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. board — to get on
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. perch — the fish
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bat — the animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. wax — to grow
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bat — in an idiom

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