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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pop — to visit
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pop — music
  9. wax — to grow
  10. track — a path
  11. pop — soda
  12. board — to get on
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rest — a break
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. staff — a stick
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. staff — employees
  21. track — a song
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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