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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wound — an injury
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wound — an injury
  7. charge — a price
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. board — a committee
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. face — to point toward
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. charge — electricity
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wax — to grow
  19. board — to get on
  20. face — to confront
  21. charge — in control
  22. key — in music
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. key — the most important part

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