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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. staff — employees
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. chip — for betting
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. staff — employees
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. roll — a cake
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chip — to eat
  18. roll — a list
  19. saw — the tool
  20. staff — a stick
  21. board — a committee
  22. wax — to grow
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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