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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. board — to get on
  5. mug — a cup
  6. board — a committee
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. capital — money
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rock — a stone
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rock — music
  17. shower — to wash
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. capital — a city
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mug — a face
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. shower — rain

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