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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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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: toast · bear · wax · board · fan · bass · tube · lie

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. toast — bread
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bass — low music
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. tube — the underground
  17. board — a committee
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. lie — an untruth

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