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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rash — a series
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. board — a committee
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wax — to grow
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. row — a line
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. board — to get on
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. row — to paddle
  19. hand — help
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wax — for sculpting

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