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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: wax · rest · trunk · pop · fan · board · band · temple

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. board — to get on
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. band — a ring
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pop — to visit
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. pop — soda
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rest — a break
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pop — music
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rest — what's left
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. board — a committee

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