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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. bulb — for light
  5. club — for dancing
  6. cue — a hint
  7. club — a group
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wax — to grow
  10. club — for golf
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. chest — a box
  15. root — of a word
  16. chest — of your body
  17. root — the cause
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. craft — boats
  23. cue — a signal
  24. root — of a plant

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