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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: stand · scale · bound · board · rule · nail · land · wax

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. board — to get on
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. land — a country
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. scale — size or range
  18. land — ground
  19. rule — government
  20. bound — certain
  21. rule — a law
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. scale — in music

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