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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.

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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: wax · fan · row · bulb · mate · net · board · cabinet

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — a committee
  10. row — a line
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. board — to get on
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mate — a partner
  17. net — in sport
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. net — for catching
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. net — after costs

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