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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spell — letters
  8. cue — a hint
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. board — a committee
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cue — for pool
  16. board — to get on
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. spell — magic
  23. rest — a break
  24. wax — for sculpting

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