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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: bore · fall · stock · wax · toast · chair · board · mate

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stock — shares
  12. board — a committee
  13. fall — to drop
  14. board — to get on
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. stock — goods
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chair — a leader
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mate — a friend

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