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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wax — to grow
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. plane — a tool
  7. board — to get on
  8. fine — all right
  9. rest — what's left
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fine — high quality
  13. spell — magic
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fall — the season
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fall — to drop
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rest — a break
  21. spell — letters
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. board — a committee
  24. mouse — for a computer

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