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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: board · field · wax · racket · snap · staff · plane · can

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. board — a committee
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. can — a tin
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. field — farmland
  10. staff — employees
  11. field — a subject
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. field — for sport
  15. staff — a stick
  16. snap — to click
  17. board — to get on
  18. wax — to grow
  19. plane — a tool
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. plane — in geometry

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