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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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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 · bank · coach · mouse · season · march · board · rush

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. season — in sport
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. board — to get on
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bank — of a river
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. march — the month
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. wax — to grow
  16. board — a committee
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. march — the month
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. march — music
  24. season — of the year

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