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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 124 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. can — a tin
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wax — to grow
  7. can — a tin
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. can — to be able to
  13. net — in sport
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. net — for catching
  17. lie — to recline
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. net — after costs
  22. board — to get on
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. board — a flat piece

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