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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. board — to get on
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. tear — from crying
  8. lean — to bend
  9. tear — from crying
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. tear — to rip
  12. wax — to grow
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. board — a committee
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bass — the fish

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