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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.

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: spell · content · wax · board · current · staff · toast · land

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. board — to get on
  3. staff — employees
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. staff — employees
  6. current — happening now
  7. land — ground
  8. current — electric
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. spell — magic
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — the amount
  16. spell — a short time
  17. current — of water
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. content — happy
  20. staff — a stick
  21. toast — bread
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. spell — letters
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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