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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · hand · bass · safe · charge · fall · racket · board

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. board — to get on
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. charge — in control
  6. hand — help
  7. bass — the fish
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. board — a committee
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fall — to drop
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fall — the season
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. charge — a price
  22. bass — low music
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. hand — in cards

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