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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wound — an injury
  4. season — in sport
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. key — in music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. key — for a lock
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rock — music
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. wound — an injury
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — the animal
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. board — a committee
  22. season — of the year
  23. rock — a stone
  24. season — to add flavour

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