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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: wax · charge · rush · leaves · board · face · track · bound

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wax — to grow
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bound — certain
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. track — a song
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rush — hurry
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bound — tied together
  16. track — a path
  17. charge — a price
  18. board — a committee
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bound — obliged
  24. charge — in control

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