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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: content · pass · wax · board · squash · cabinet · present · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. present — the time now
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. present — a gift
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. squash — to crush
  10. content — the amount
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pass — a permit
  13. board — to get on
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. board — a committee
  18. content — happy
  19. present — there
  20. wax — to grow
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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