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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rock — a stone
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. rock — music
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mark — a trace
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. kid — to tease
  21. chest — a box
  22. kid — child
  23. wax — to grow
  24. chest — of your 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