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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wax · staff · squash · rock · rest · lash · scale · board

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rest — what's left
  4. scale — size or range
  5. board — a committee
  6. scale — in music
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rock — music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. squash — to crush
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rest — a break
  19. board — to get on
  20. squash — the sport
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. board — a flat piece

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