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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wax · spring · safe · board · patient · plane · chair · bear

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. spring — of water
  7. wax — to grow
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spring — the season
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. plane — an aircraft

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