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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. board — to get on
  14. wax — to grow
  15. lean — thin
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. row — a line
  21. foot — a measure
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. row — to paddle
  24. foot — part of the body

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