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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 120 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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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: wax · fall · board · staff · fork · spell · fan · pitcher

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fall — to drop
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spell — letters
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fall — the season
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. staff — employees
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. board — to get on
  16. spell — a short time
  17. board — a committee
  18. staff — employees
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wax — to grow
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. spell — magic
  24. fan — a supporter

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