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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. board — to get on
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rest — a break
  7. board — a committee
  8. current — electric
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. current — happening now
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rest — what's left
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — a video
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. current — of water
  24. stand — to bear

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