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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wound — an injury
  5. track — a song
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. track — a path
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. cold — an illness
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. firm — a company
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bulb — for light
  24. board — to get on

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