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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: wax · bowl · sharp · game · present · spring · board · fan

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. game — a match
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. spring — of water
  7. wax — to grow
  8. present — there
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spring — a coil
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. game — wild animals
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. board — a committee
  17. spring — the season
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. sharp — clever
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wax — for sculpting

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