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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. board — to get on
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. ball — a dance
  10. board — a committee
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stock — shares
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. key — for a lock
  16. stock — goods
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bat — the animal
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. snap — to click
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. ball — a great time
  24. key — in music

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