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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: stem · rush · stand · wax · object · deal · row · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. object — an aim
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. row — a line
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stem — to come from
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. board — to get on
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. object — to protest
  20. row — to paddle
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. object — a thing
  24. deal — an agreement

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