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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
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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: board · wax · field · face · wake · perch · craft · swing

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. board — to get on
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. perch — the fish
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wake — a trail
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. face — to point toward
  13. swing — music
  14. craft — boats
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. field — farmland
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. field — a subject
  20. craft — a skill
  21. field — for sport
  22. swing — in golf
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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