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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. board — a committee
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cold — an illness
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. hand — in cards
  10. cold — not warm
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hand — help
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. game — wild animals
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. game — a match
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. board — to get on

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