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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 116 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: wax · wake · net · board · bay · swing · charge · fine

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. charge — a price
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wake — a trail
  7. board — to get on
  8. net — in sport
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fine — all right
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. net — for catching
  20. charge — in control
  21. swing — music
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. net — after costs
  24. bay — a horse colour

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