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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. court — of law
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. field — farmland
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. board — to get on
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. foot — a measure
  13. snap — to click
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. field — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. field — a subject
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. board — a committee
  21. wound — an injury
  22. court — for sport
  23. wound — an injury
  24. foot — the bottom

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