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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mine — for digging
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. toast — bread
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mug — to rob
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mug — a face
  18. board — to get on
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cabinet — ministers

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