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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. board — to get on
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. last — finally
  5. wax — to grow
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. last — final
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. board — a committee
  11. season — in sport
  12. last — to go on
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pop — soda
  18. staff — employees
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. season — of the year
  21. staff — employees
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pop — music

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