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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. net — after costs
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spell — a short time
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. wax — to grow
  12. net — for catching
  13. board — to get on
  14. rock — music
  15. fine — all right
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. spell — letters
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rock — a stone
  23. net — in sport
  24. wax — for sculpting

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