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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. board — a committee
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. deal — to handle
  6. kick — in football
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bat — the animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. board — to get on
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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