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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: board · object · file · content · lash · wax · cabinet · deal

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. object — a thing
  5. board — to get on
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. file — a line of people
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. content — the amount
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. board — a committee
  20. content — happy
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. deal — to handle
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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