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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. board — to get on
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. season — of the year
  6. rest — a break
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. key — in music
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. key — for a lock
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. season — in sport
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wax — to grow
  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