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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: staff · cabinet · bowl · drill · stem · board · file · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. drill — army training
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. file — a document
  10. staff — employees
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. staff — employees
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  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