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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wake — a trail
  6. row — a line
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. board — a committee
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. row — to paddle
  18. race — a contest
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fine — high quality
  21. race — humankind
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fine — all right
  24. race — the arms race

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