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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fork — in a road
  6. last — final
  7. rest — what's left
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rest — a break
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wax — to grow
  12. board — a committee
  13. row — to paddle
  14. board — to get on
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rest — what's left
  18. last — to go on
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. last — finally
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. row — a line
  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