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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. board — a committee
  8. wake — a trail
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — a subject
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fine — all right
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. wax — to grow
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. lean — thin
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. fine — high quality
  23. lean — to bend
  24. field — for sport

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