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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: board · mark · bound · staff · bulb · coach · wax · march

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bound — obliged
  9. staff — employees
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. march — the month
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bound — tied together
  14. board — to get on
  15. bound — certain
  16. staff — a stick
  17. march — the month
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. staff — employees
  21. march — music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wax — to grow
  24. board — a flat piece

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