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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · root · charge · bulb · bat · land · wax · plane

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. land — to come down
  5. charge — in control
  6. bat — the animal
  7. land — a country
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. charge — a price
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wax — to grow
  16. root — the cause
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bulb — for light
  21. land — ground
  22. bulb — for light
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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