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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fine — high quality
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rock — music
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. board — a committee
  8. fine — all right
  9. stem — to come from
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. snap — to click
  13. board — to get on
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pit — in a race
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rock — a stone
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pit — a hole
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fine — a penalty

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