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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rule — a law
  9. board — a committee
  10. season — of the year
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. board — to get on
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pound — a weight
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. season — in sport
  23. rule — government
  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