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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: wax · mouse · jam · dip · board · leaves · wind · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. board — a committee
  3. mate — a partner
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. dip — to sink
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. board — to get on
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mate — a friend
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. jam — in traffic

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