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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stand — to bear
  4. swing — music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. board — a committee
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. swing — in golf
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. swing — to play on
  17. scale — in music
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. lean — thin
  20. scale — size or range
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stand — on your feet

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