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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.

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 · row · board · ruler · cue · tube · wake · capital

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. tube — a container
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wake — a trail
  18. capital — money
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. capital — a city
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. board — to get on

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