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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: spell · current · wax · craft · chair · rest · board · ground

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. board — a committee
  3. rest — a break
  4. craft — a skill
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. ground — crushed
  8. chair — a leader
  9. board — to get on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. current — electric
  15. rest — what's left
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. ground — the earth
  18. current — of water
  19. ground — a position
  20. current — happening now
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. spell — a short time

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