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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. root — the cause
  3. board — a committee
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bear — the animal
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. face — to confront
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bear — the animal
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. scale — in music
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wax — in the ear

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