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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.

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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: ruler · stand · net · board · face · bear · racket · wax

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. board — to get on
  6. face — to confront
  7. wax — to grow
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stand — to bear
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. face — to point toward
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bear — the animal
  19. net — in sport
  20. board — a committee
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. racket — for tennis

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