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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. board — to get on
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. spell — magic
  5. can — a tin
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. can — to be able to
  8. kid — to tease
  9. key — in music
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. court — for sport
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. key — the most important part
  15. spell — letters
  16. court — of law
  17. can — a tin
  18. court — of a king
  19. kid — child
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wax — to grow
  23. spell — a short time
  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