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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 116 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: game · prune · leaves · wax · lash · cap · snap · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wax — to grow
  4. game — a match
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. game — wild animals
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cap — a lid
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. board — to get on
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. snap — to click
  22. prune — to trim
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. cap — a hat

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