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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: plane · perch · hand · temple · race · board · wax · club

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — a contest
  5. hand — help
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. plane — a tool
  12. hand — in cards
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. race — humankind
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. wax — to grow
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. club — a group
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. plane — in geometry

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