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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. board — a committee
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. spring — of water
  11. board — to get on
  12. wax — to grow
  13. spring — the season
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mate — a partner
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. spring — a coil
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mate — to breed
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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