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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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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: spring · season · wax · board · coach · bank · race · prune

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. season — of the year
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bank — for money
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. prune — to trim
  12. race — a contest
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. spring — of water
  15. season — in sport
  16. board — a committee
  17. wax — to grow
  18. race — humankind
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — the season
  23. prune — to trim
  24. board — to get on

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