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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cue — for pool
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. board — a committee
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wake — a trail
  19. board — to get on
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wax — to grow
  23. kid — child
  24. board — a flat piece

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