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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. board — a committee
  4. wax — to grow
  5. track — to keep track
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. track — a path
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. march — the month
  11. fine — all right
  12. staff — employees
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. march — music
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. march — the month
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. staff — employees
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. track — a song
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. staff — a stick
  24. board — to get on

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