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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. staff — employees
  4. board — to get on
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. staff — employees
  10. bank — of a river
  11. firm — decided
  12. bank — for money
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wound — an injury
  17. board — a committee
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bank — for money
  23. staff — a stick
  24. board — a flat piece

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