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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wax — to grow
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rush — hurry
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. key — for a lock
  8. chip — to eat
  9. key — in music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. march — the month
  13. board — to get on
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. march — music
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. board — a committee
  20. chip — for betting
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. march — the month
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. key — the most important part

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