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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wax — to grow
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. board — a committee
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. craft — boats
  13. current — electric
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. craft — a skill
  16. band — a music group
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. season — of the year
  23. vault — a safe
  24. band — a ring

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