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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. track — a path
  3. board — to get on
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. tear — from crying
  7. track — a song
  8. roll — a list
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rock — music
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. board — a committee
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rule — a law
  21. tear — to rip
  22. roll — a cake
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rock — a stone

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