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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.

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: stick · game · board · fine · plane · land · cell · wax

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fine — high quality
  3. board — to get on
  4. land — to come down
  5. board — a committee
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. land — ground
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. wax — to grow
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fine — all right
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. land — a country
  18. cell — a phone
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. game — a match
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cell — in biology
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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