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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.

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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 · nail · wind · wave · wax · chair · hide · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. wind — moving air
  3. board — to get on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chair — a leader
  23. board — a committee
  24. nail — on a finger

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