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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bear — the animal
  6. board — a committee
  7. root — of a word
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wax — to grow
  10. board — to get on
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. root — the cause
  13. court — for sport
  14. root — of a plant
  15. wound — an injury
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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