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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fall — the season
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fall — to drop
  11. track — a song
  12. wax — to grow
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. suit — clothes
  15. board — to get on
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. band — a ring
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. suit — in cards
  21. board — a committee
  22. track — a path
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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