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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 120 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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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: cap · rest · board · bank · coach · file · mark · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. file — a tool
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bank — for money
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rest — a break
  9. board — to get on
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. mark — a grade
  21. file — a document
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rest — what's left
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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