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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: fan · wax · field · degree · bay · lash · board · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. field — for sport
  4. degree — from a university
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. degree — an amount
  14. field — farmland
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. board — a committee
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. board — to get on
  23. degree — temperature
  24. field — a subject

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