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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 124 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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. wax — to grow
  3. land — ground
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. current — of water
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. chest — of your body
  9. board — a committee
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. land — a country
  12. board — to get on
  13. current — electric
  14. chest — a box
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. current — happening now
  18. land — to come down
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. chest — of your body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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