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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mark — a grade
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. board — to get on
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cap — a hat
  17. press — a publisher
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. sharp — clever
  23. press — to push
  24. bear — the animal

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