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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 · game · club · board · nail · deal · wax · lash

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. chair — a leader
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. deal — to handle
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. club — for dancing
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — to grow
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. club — for golf
  19. game — a match
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. club — a group
  24. nail — for a hammer

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