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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.

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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: fan · snap · wax · spell · stand · branch · board · craft

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. board — a committee
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. board — to get on
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. craft — boats
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. craft — a skill
  10. snap — to click
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. branch — a division
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wax — to grow
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. spell — a short time

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