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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. board — to get on
  3. drill — a practice
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stock — goods
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stock — shares
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rest — a break
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. field — for sport
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. drill — army training
  21. board — a committee
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

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