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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: board · prune · pitcher · spell · suit · wax · foot · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. spell — letters
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wind — moving air
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. suit — to fit
  8. board — to get on
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. foot — a measure
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. spell — magic
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. prune — to trim
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wax — to grow
  20. board — a committee
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. spell — a short time
  24. prune — the fruit

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