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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. board — a committee
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rock — music
  8. fine — all right
  9. fall — to drop
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fine — high quality
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. board — to get on
  16. fall — the season
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. kick — in football
  20. rock — a stone
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wax — to grow
  24. jam — in traffic

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