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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. tube — a container
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. branch — a division
  9. board — to get on
  10. bore — to drill
  11. band — a ring
  12. current — electric
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. tube — the underground
  18. current — happening now
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. band — a music group
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bore — to tire
  23. current — of water
  24. dip — to sink

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