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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. roll — a list
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. board — to get on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. rock — music
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rash — a series
  16. wax — to grow
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. board — a committee
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rock — a stone
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. wax — for sculpting

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