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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wax — to grow
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — a subject
  11. board — to get on
  12. field — for sport
  13. charge — in control
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. board — a committee

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