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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. board — a committee
  6. lean — to bend
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. can — a tin
  9. court — of law
  10. board — to get on
  11. court — for sport
  12. mark — a grade
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chair — a leader
  16. court — of a king
  17. lean — thin
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. race — a contest
  24. can — a tin

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