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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.

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: can · bay · clip · wax · stand · craft · board · row

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stand — to bear
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. can — a tin
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. clip — for paper
  10. board — a committee
  11. row — a line
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. board — to get on
  14. clip — a video
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. can — to be able to
  18. row — to paddle
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wax — to grow
  22. can — a tin
  23. craft — boats
  24. clip — to cut

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