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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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 flat piece
  3. spring — of water
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. spring — the season
  6. board — a committee
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. drill — the tool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. spring — a coil
  18. drill — army training
  19. wax — to grow
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. lie — to recline
  22. drill — a practice
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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