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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wax — to grow
  4. board — to get on
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. last — finally
  10. chip — for betting
  11. last — to go on
  12. object — a thing
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. branch — a division
  17. object — to protest
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. last — final
  21. board — a committee
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. chair — a leader

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