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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: firm · snap · bound · board · wind · wax · coach · drill

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bound — certain
  3. wind — moving air
  4. board — to get on
  5. firm — steady
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. firm — a company
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. board — a committee
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bound — obliged
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. drill — army training
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. snap — to click
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bound — tied together
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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