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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — not warm
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wax — to grow
  15. can — a tin
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. can — a tin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cold — an illness
  23. mug — a face
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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