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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: rush · pass · board · wax · staff · stem · pitcher · march

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. march — the month
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. staff — a stick
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rush — hurry
  16. staff — employees
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. march — music
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. board — a committee
  21. staff — employees
  22. march — the month
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pitcher — a jug

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