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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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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: bay · leaves · board · toast · rule · date · snap · wax

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. date — the fruit
  7. rule — a law
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. snap — to click
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. toast — bread
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. board — to get on
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rule — government
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. board — a committee
  24. wax — for sculpting

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