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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rash — a series
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mine — for digging
  7. rash — hasty
  8. foot — a measure
  9. board — to get on
  10. lie — to recline
  11. content — the amount
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. content — happy
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wax — to grow
  24. board — a committee

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