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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: bank · wax · plane · ground · lash · mate · content · board

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bank — for money
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. board — to get on
  6. wax — to grow
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bank — for money
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bank — of a river
  12. ground — a position
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mate — a partner
  22. ground — the earth
  23. content — the amount
  24. board — a committee

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