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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pass — a permit
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. tube — a container
  10. mark — a grade
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. wax — to grow
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. board — to get on
  19. mark — a trace
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. branch — a division
  23. tube — the underground
  24. saw — the tool

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