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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 116 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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. firm — steady
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. shower — to wash
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. file — a tool
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. file — a document
  15. board — a committee
  16. shower — rain
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wind — moving air
  19. file — a line of people
  20. wind — moving air
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wax — for sculpting

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