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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. race — a contest
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. board — a committee
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. race — humankind
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. race — the arms race
  11. row — to paddle
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. board — to get on
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rash — a series
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rash — hasty
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. band — a ring
  24. wax — in the ear

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