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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fine — all right
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wax — to grow
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. key — in music
  17. tube — a container
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. key — the most important part
  23. board — to get on
  24. pound — a weight

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