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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bank — of a river
  4. staff — employees
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. staff — a stick
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bank — for money
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. degree — from a university
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. staff — employees
  19. degree — an amount
  20. board — a committee
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bank — for money
  23. wax — to grow
  24. degree — temperature

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