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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. board — to get on
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. land — to come down
  8. dip — to sink
  9. last — finally
  10. land — a country
  11. ground — the earth
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ground — a position
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. last — final
  18. land — ground
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. last — to go on
  23. ground — crushed
  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