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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. file — a tool
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. board — a committee
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. file — a line of people
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. board — to get on
  20. file — a document
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. hand — help
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. hand — part of the body

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