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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. suit — in cards
  9. squash — the sport
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. squash — to crush
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. plane — a tool
  16. board — a committee
  17. suit — clothes
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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