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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. board — to get on
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. last — to go on
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rash — hasty
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. deal — to handle
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rash — a series
  16. board — a committee
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. plane — a tool
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. suit — to fit
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. cue — a hint

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