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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wax — to grow
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. board — to get on
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. board — a committee
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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