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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 124 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. board — to get on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. march — the month
  6. mine — for digging
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. march — the month
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. row — a line
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. wax — to grow
  21. march — music
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. dip — to sink
  24. hide — to keep secret

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