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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
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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: present · fan · straw · mark · content · wind · board · wax

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. present — a gift
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. content — the amount
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. board — a committee
  9. mark — a trace
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. present — the time now
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. content — happy
  22. present — there
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wax — in the ear

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