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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. net — in sport
  3. board — to get on
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. net — for catching
  6. board — a committee
  7. face — to point toward
  8. sharp — clever
  9. net — after costs
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. can — a tin
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. can — a tin
  15. wax — to grow
  16. face — part of the head
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. face — to confront
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — for sculpting

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