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

Word bank: wax · can · wave · fan · race · charge · band · coach

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. can — a tin
  2. charge — in control
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. race — humankind
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. band — a ring
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. wax — to grow
  15. charge — a price
  16. race — a contest
  17. charge — electricity
  18. race — the arms race
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. band — a music group
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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