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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. date — the fruit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. board — a committee
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. present — the time now
  17. board — to get on
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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