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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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Word bank
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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. band — a rubber band
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. season — of the year
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. charge — a price
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. band — a music group
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. plane — a tool
  22. charge — in control
  23. season — in sport
  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