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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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. board — to get on
  9. rash — hasty
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rash — a series
  15. tear — from crying
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fan — a supporter

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