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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: drill · chest · plane · squash · board · wax · arm · deal

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. chest — a box
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. drill — a practice
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. drill — army training
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. chest — of your body
  17. drill — the tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. squash — to crush
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. board — a committee
  23. deal — to handle
  24. squash — the vegetable

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