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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pitch — completely
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. board — a committee
  7. staff — employees
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. suit — to fit
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. swing — in golf
  17. staff — a stick
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. swing — music
  20. staff — employees
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. board — to get on
  23. dip — to sink
  24. suit — in cards

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