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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 120 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. board — a committee
  4. wax — to grow
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. chest — of your body
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chest — a box
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a ring
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. band — a music group
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bass — low music
  23. board — to get on
  24. wax — in the ear

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