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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bound — certain
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bound — tied together
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. saw — the tool
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. board — a committee
  24. wound — an injury

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