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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. toast — bread
  4. mate — a partner
  5. board — to get on
  6. mate — a friend
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — music

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