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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
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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: board · spring · stand · staff · date · wax · bear · prune

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. board — a committee
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. board — to get on
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. spring — a coil
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. prune — to trim
  13. date — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. spring — of water
  16. bear — the animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. bear — the animal
  19. staff — a stick
  20. spring — the season
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. staff — employees

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