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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. saw — the tool
  3. board — to get on
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rest — a break
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cap — of ice
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rest — what's left
  12. can — to be able to
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cap — a lid
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rest — what's left
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pop — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. can — a tin

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