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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. shower — to wash
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. root — the cause
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. root — of a word
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. lie — to recline
  23. root — of a plant
  24. fan — a supporter

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