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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 · game · board · rock · tear · fine · nail · pass

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fine — all right
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pass — a permit
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rock — music
  17. board — to get on
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wax — to grow
  23. game — a match
  24. fine — a penalty

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