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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: wave · bore · pitcher · wax · clip · board · date · lie

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lie — to recline
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. board — a committee
  16. clip — for paper
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. date — the fruit
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. clip — a video

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