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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: roll · wax · stick · wound · board · bear · ball · pop

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. board — a committee
  3. pop — music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. roll — a list
  7. pop — to visit
  8. roll — a cake
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — to get on
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pop — soda
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wound — an injury

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