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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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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 · rest · mug · wax · plane · suit · pound · wind

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rest — a break
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. board — to get on
  9. mug — to rob
  10. suit — in cards
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mug — a cup
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. board — a committee
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mug — a face

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