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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: leaves · wax · bulb · board · mine · plane · bark · wind

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mine — for digging
  12. board — a committee
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wax — to grow
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. board — to get on

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