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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. season — in sport
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. season — of the year
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wound — an injury
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wax — to grow
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. prune — to trim
  17. board — a committee
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bat — the animal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. racket — for tennis

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