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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bore — to tire
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rash — a series
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rash — hasty
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bore — to drill
  24. plane — an aircraft

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