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

Word bank: stick · suit · wound · bay · board · wax · foot · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. suit — clothes
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. board — a committee
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. board — to get on
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. foot — a measure
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. suit — in cards

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