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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.

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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: jam · nail · lean · wax · wind · track · staff · board

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wax — to grow
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. track — a path
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. board — to get on
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wind — moving air
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lean — thin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. track — to keep track
  18. staff — a stick
  19. board — a committee
  20. staff — employees
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. track — a song
  24. jam — a tight spot

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