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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 120 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: wax · saw · present · board · firm · land · stick · degree

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. board — to get on
  3. present — there
  4. board — a committee
  5. land — a country
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. degree — from a university
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. saw — the tool
  10. degree — temperature
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wax — to grow
  13. firm — decided
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. present — the time now
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. degree — an amount
  18. land — to come down
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. land — ground
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. present — a gift
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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