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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bound — certain
  5. board — a committee
  6. hand — in cards
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bound — obliged
  11. suit — in cards
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fall — to drop
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fall — the season
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — to get on
  19. perch — the fish
  20. suit — clothes
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fall — to drop

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