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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. tube — a container
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. row — a line
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. tube — the underground
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. row — to paddle
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pound — a weight
  24. safe — a strongbox

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