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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: mug · board · wave · can · plane · wake · field · squash

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. board — a committee
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. field — a subject
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. field — farmland
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wake — a trail
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mug — a cup
  12. field — for sport
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. can — a tin
  15. squash — to crush
  16. can — a tin
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. can — to be able to
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mug — a face
  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