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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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. can — a tin
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. board — a committee
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wax — to grow
  10. current — of water
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. can — to be able to
  13. lean — thin
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. can — a tin
  17. current — happening now
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. fork — in a road
  23. current — electric
  24. fork — a garden tool

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