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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. chest — a box
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. board — to get on
  5. chest — of your body
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. season — of the year
  9. board — a committee
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chest — of your body
  13. root — the cause
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mark — a trace
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. season — in sport
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. root — of a word
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mark — a grade

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