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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 120 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. board — a committee
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pop — soda
  7. game — a match
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pop — to visit
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pop — music
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. board — to get on
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wax — to grow

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