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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wind — moving air
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. charge — a price
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. charge — electricity
  14. hand — help
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wind — moving air
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. charge — in control
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. board — a committee

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