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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · cue · rash · coach · board · season · ball · rush

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cue — a signal
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rash — a series
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cue — for pool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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