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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bound — certain
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. board — a committee
  11. rest — a break
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. board — to get on
  19. wake — a trail
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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