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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. last — finally
  3. board — a committee
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. charge — electricity
  7. last — to go on
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. wax — to grow
  11. last — final
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. object — to protest
  14. present — a gift
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bat — the animal
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. board — to get on
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. present — there
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. board — a flat piece

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