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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rash — a series
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a dance
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bound — certain
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. ball — a great time
  22. lie — to recline
  23. row — a line
  24. ball — a round shape

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