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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wax — to grow
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. board — to get on
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pass — a permit
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. face — to confront
  14. ground — a position
  15. face — part of the head
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mug — a face
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. board — a committee

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