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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rule — government
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pass — a permit
  12. board — a committee
  13. net — in sport
  14. rule — a law
  15. plane — a tool
  16. net — after costs
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. net — for catching
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pass — to spend time

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