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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · arm · current · tube · wax · bay · rule · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rule — a law
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. current — of water
  11. rule — government
  12. wax — to grow
  13. tube — a container
  14. board — to get on
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. arm — a part of something

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