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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. game — a match
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. court — for sport
  8. board — to get on
  9. court — of law
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. land — a country
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. board — a committee
  18. rest — what's left
  19. land — ground
  20. court — of a king
  21. wax — to grow
  22. game — wild animals
  23. land — to come down
  24. rest — a break

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