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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wax — to grow
  7. face — to confront
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. board — to get on
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. board — a committee
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. face — to point toward
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. face — part of the head
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fork — a garden tool

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