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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wind — moving air
  4. tear — from crying
  5. saw — the tool
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. tear — to rip
  13. root — the cause
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. root — of a word
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wind — moving air
  23. board — to get on
  24. wind — to turn a key

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