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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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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: firm · chest · wax · board · bowl · mouse · coach · current

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. board — to get on
  3. chest — of your body
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. firm — a company
  7. board — a committee
  8. chest — of your body
  9. firm — steady
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. current — happening now
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. current — of water
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. firm — decided
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chest — a box
  19. current — electric
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. board — a flat piece
  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