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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.

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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 · game · stick · dip · bore · last · rash · board

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. last — final
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. last — finally
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rash — hasty
  9. dip — to sink
  10. game — a match
  11. bore — to drill
  12. game — wild animals
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. rash — a series
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. last — to go on
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. game — a kind of play

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