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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. last — finally
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. suit — clothes
  5. last — to go on
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wax — to grow
  9. squash — the sport
  10. last — final
  11. current — happening now
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. board — a committee
  14. suit — in cards
  15. root — of a word
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. board — to get on
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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