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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. prune — to trim
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. board — to get on
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. sharp — clever
  7. board — a committee
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. prune — to trim
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rock — music
  15. charge — in control
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. board — a flat piece

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