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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 · nail · wind · lean · ruler · swing · board · pop

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. board — a committee
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lean — thin
  9. swing — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pop — music
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. swing — in golf
  24. lean — to bend

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