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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: chair · land · lean · wax · board · bay · mine · leaves

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. lean — thin
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. board — a committee
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mine — for digging
  18. chair — a leader
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. board — to get on
  23. land — to come down
  24. bay — a horse colour

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