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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pop — to visit
  3. rule — government
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. board — to get on
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. board — a committee
  13. wax — to grow
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rule — a law
  16. object — an aim
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. object — to protest
  21. pop — music
  22. object — a thing
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pop — soda

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