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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. staff — employees
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. staff — employees
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. club — for golf
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wax — to grow
  16. tear — from crying
  17. club — a group
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. club — for dancing
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. board — a committee
  24. net — in sport

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