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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. face — to confront
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. lean — to bend
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. clip — for paper
  12. board — a committee
  13. club — for dancing
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — a video
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. face — part of the head
  20. prune — to trim
  21. face — to point toward
  22. club — a group
  23. lean — thin
  24. club — for golf

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