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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. tube — a container
  6. wax — to grow
  7. present — a gift
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. chip — to eat
  10. lean — thin
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. present — there
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. present — the time now
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. chip — for betting
  19. lean — to bend
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bark — to shout
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. march — 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