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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: content · foot · staff · board · mine · wax · snap · bank

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. board — a committee
  3. mine — for digging
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. wax — to grow
  11. content — the amount
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. board — to get on
  14. snap — to click
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bank — for money
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. staff — employees
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. board — a flat piece

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