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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: board · wax · bear · leaves · fan · chest · key · plane

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. key — in music
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bear — the animal
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chest — of your body
  14. board — to get on
  15. plane — a tool
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. key — the most important part
  21. board — a committee
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. leaves — lets stay

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