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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
468
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: pit · wax · board · hand · plane · arm · ground · bank

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. board — to get on
  3. bank — for money
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bank — of a river
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. hand — help
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bank — for money
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ground — a position
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. hand — in cards
  20. plane — a tool
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wax — to grow

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