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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lean — thin
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rash — a series
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. board — to get on
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wax — to grow
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. board — a committee

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