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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bank — for money
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fine — all right
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bank — for money
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. face — to confront
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wake — a trail
  20. face — to point toward
  21. wax — to grow
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bank — of a river

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