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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.

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: chair · lean · craft · wax · bear · fall · net · board

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. chair — a leader
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. fall — to drop
  7. board — a committee
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bear — the animal
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. net — for catching
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. net — in sport
  15. craft — boats
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fall — the season
  18. wax — to grow
  19. net — after costs
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. craft — a skill
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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