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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: wax · board · ball · bore · object · chest · game · leaves

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. object — to protest
  3. chest — of your body
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bore — to drill
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. game — wild animals
  13. board — a committee
  14. chest — of your body
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. bore — to tire
  20. board — to get on
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wax — to grow
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. ball — a round shape

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