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

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bank — for money
  7. tube — a container
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bank — of a river
  13. track — a song
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stand — to bear
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bank — for money
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stand — for spectators

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