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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · pound · board · band · suit · hide · cold · wax

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. cold — not warm
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pound — a weight
  5. season — of the year
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. band — a music group
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. band — a ring
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wax — to grow
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. suit — to fit
  22. season — in sport
  23. cold — an illness
  24. suit — clothes

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