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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: pitcher · wax · arm · drill · current · snap · board · root

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. snap — to click
  8. root — the cause
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. drill — army training
  13. root — of a word
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. current — happening now
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. drill — the tool
  19. current — electric
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. current — of water
  23. wax — to grow
  24. board — a committee

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