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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rest — what's left
  5. board — to get on
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. craft — boats
  9. face — part of the head
  10. scale — size or range
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. face — to point toward
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rest — what's left
  18. face — to confront
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. scale — in music
  22. rest — a break
  23. board — a committee
  24. rock — to move gently

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