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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.

Make a worksheet

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: game · prune · wind · pop · scale · wax · stick · board

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. board — to get on
  6. game — a match
  7. prune — to trim
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pop — soda
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. scale — size or range
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pop — music
  17. wind — moving air
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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