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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. board — to get on
  6. rock — music
  7. root — of a plant
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wax — to grow
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. root — the cause
  13. board — a committee
  14. mine — for digging
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rock — a stone
  21. root — of a word
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mine — belonging to me

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