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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. board — to get on
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. fine — high quality
  6. face — part of the head
  7. board — a committee
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. club — for golf
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wax — to grow
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. face — to confront
  14. fine — all right
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. face — to point toward
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. club — a group
  23. snap — to click
  24. board — a flat piece

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