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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wound — an injury
  6. kid — to tease
  7. board — to get on
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. current — happening now
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. current — electric
  18. kid — child
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wax — to grow
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. current — of water
  23. wound — an injury
  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