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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: rush · ball · track · lash · coach · suit · wax · band

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. band — a ring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. track — a song
  13. suit — clothes
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. band — a music group
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. ball — a great time
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. track — a path
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wax — to grow

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