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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wax — to grow
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cue — a signal
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. object — to protest
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. object — an aim
  12. chest — of your body
  13. board — a committee
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. chest — of your body
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. board — to get on
  24. chest — a box

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