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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. staff — employees
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. face — to confront
  8. staff — employees
  9. board — a committee
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. face — part of the head
  17. board — to get on
  18. file — a document
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. file — a tool
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. staff — a stick

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