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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · chest · calf · wax · dip · bay · lie · board

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. chest — of your body
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. game — a match
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. board — to get on
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wax — to grow
  21. chest — a box
  22. dip — to sink
  23. board — a committee
  24. calf — of the leg

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