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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: land · board · wax · tube · bowl · plane · charge · pitcher

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. board — a committee
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. charge — a price
  9. board — to get on
  10. land — to come down
  11. charge — electricity
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. tube — a container
  16. land — ground
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. charge — in control
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. land — a country
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. tube — in a tire

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