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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. swing — music
  3. rock — music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. swing — to play on
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rock — a stone
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. face — to point toward
  16. perch — the fish
  17. firm — steady
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. swing — in golf
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. board — a committee
  24. face — to confront

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