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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: craft · drill · staff · bulb · board · leaves · plane · wax

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. staff — a stick
  7. drill — army training
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. drill — a practice
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bulb — for light
  12. drill — the tool
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. staff — employees
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. leaves — to go away

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