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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stock — shares
  4. mate — a partner
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. tube — the underground
  10. board — to get on
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wax — to grow
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. tube — a container
  15. stock — goods
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. spell — letters
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stock — a soup base

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