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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. band — a ring
  8. wind — moving air
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. board — to get on
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stem — to come from
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stem — of a plant

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