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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. board — to get on
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ground — crushed
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wax — to grow
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mark — a trace
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fine — high quality
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fine — all right
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — a flat piece

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