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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: chair · court · hide · ball · face · fork · wax · board

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. board — to get on
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. court — of law
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. face — to confront
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. court — for sport
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chair — a leader
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. face — to point toward
  15. board — a committee
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. ball — a dance
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. fork — in a road
  21. court — of a king
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. ball — a great time
  24. chair — to sit on

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